Bipartisan legislation directs the State Department to actively disrupt terrorist group’s illicit activities in the Western Hemisphere and deter threats to the U.S. and its allies
WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Near East Subcommittee, and John Curtis (R-UT), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, introduced the No Hezbollah in Our Hemisphere Act, bipartisan legislation to direct the U.S. Department of State and other federal agencies to assess and counter Hezbollah’s influence in Latin America. The bill requires an official determination of whether any Western Hemisphere country meets the legal definition of a terrorist sanctuary and imposes restrictions on officials who support Hezbollah.
“Iran-backed Hezbollah is a terrorist organization that has operated in the Western Hemisphere for decades to raise funds for its destabilizing activities around the globe,” said Senator Rosen. “This is a threat to U.S. national security and cannot be tolerated. That’s why I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan bill to make clear that we will not accept countries turning a blind eye to Hezbollah’s harmful actions.”
“Hezbollah is directly responsible for the murder of hundreds of Americans. For too long, this Iranian-backed terrorist group has used Latin America as a safe haven for illicit financing, recruitment, and other criminal activities—fueling drug trafficking at our southern border and posing significant threats to our national security,” said Senator Curtis. “My legislation with Senator Rosen directs the United States to take action on Hezbollah’s alarming presence in Latin America to keep us and our allies, including Israel, safe from their terrorist ambitions.”
“Despite Hezbollah’s military leadership being thoroughly degraded, the terror group maintains a global illicit finance network that could help the organization reconstitute itself, especially with the backing of terrorist sponsors like Iran. This is acutely felt in Latin America, where Hezbollah’s infrastructure continues to operate and threaten the United States and our allies. Few countries in the region have designated Hezbollah a terrorist organization or placed significant restrictions on its operations, and some countries even openly provide it with material support. The No Hezbollah in Our Hemisphere Act seeks to address the permissive environment for Hezbollah in the region through a comprehensive assessment of Latin American countries to determine whether they meet the criteria of a terrorist sanctuary under U.S. law,” said Tyler Stapleton, Director of Government Relations at FDD Action. “This important legislation also directs the United States to support efforts to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, engage with international financial organizations to disrupt Hezbollah’s activities, and pursue visa revocations and travel restrictions for those who enable Hezbollah or operate in proximity to those who do. FDD Action strongly supports this bill and congressional efforts to push back on Hezbollah and its network in the Western Hemisphere.”
Hezbollah, with direct support from Iran, has built an extensive network in Latin America, using the region as a hub for terrorism, illicit financing, and organized crime. The group plays a central role in the cocaine trade, collaborating with Colombian and Mexican cartels to smuggle multi-ton shipments of narcotics across the hemisphere.
While countries such as Argentina and Paraguay have designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, many others have not—allowing the group to operate with impunity. Some authoritarian regimes in Latin America, particularly Venezuela under Nicolás Maduro, openly support Hezbollah and its Iranian backers. Brazil, Iran’s primary trading partner in the region, has even allowed Iranian warships to dock in Rio de Janeiro.
Following the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks in Israel, authorities in Brazil and Argentina intercepted multiple Iranian-backed terrorist plots targeting Jewish communities. The lack of coordinated regional action against Hezbollah poses a direct security threat to the United States and its allies.
The No Hezbollah in Our Hemisphere Act would:
- Require the Secretary of State, in coordination with U.S. intelligence agencies, to assess whether any country or region in Latin America qualifies as a terrorist sanctuary under U.S. law.
- Direct the Secretary of State to push Latin American governments to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and engage with financial watchdogs to graylist entities that collaborate with Hezbollah.
- Impose visa bans and travel restrictions on foreign government officials whose countries enable Hezbollah’s activities. Current visas issued to such individuals would be revoked immediately unless they take verifiable steps to combat Hezbollah’s influence.
- Allow the President to grant exemptions for law enforcement objectives or compliance with U.S. international obligations, such as agreements with the United Nations. Sanctions may be lifted if a foreign individual or government demonstrates credible efforts to eliminate Hezbollah’s activities within their jurisdiction.
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