Hezbollah increases evidence of terrorist group operating in Colombia

Hezbollah, also written as Hezbollah literally translated as Party of God, is a Shi’i Muslim political party and paramilitary group, led since 1992 by its secretary general Hassan Nasrallah.

Hezbollah was created by clerics in Lebanon in 1982 in response to the Israeli invasion of the south of the country, and was founded as an insurgent group that brought together Shi’ite Muslims trained, organized and funded by a contingent of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. It adopted the model developed by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini after the Iranian Revolution in 1979, and the founders of the party adopted the name “Hezbollah” that Khomeini had chosen. Since then, Hezbollah has developed close ties with Iran, from which Hezbollah receives weapons, training and financial support.

Sources confirmed to Blu Radio in Colombia that there was an intention to negotiate a pre-agreement with the Colombian-Lebanese citizen who was captured in Cúcuta for allegedly financing the terrorist group Hezbollah.

According to information provided by Colombian authorities and confirmed by Major Roni Kaplan, spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, this subject has been linked to Hezbollah financing operations through the illegal trade of charcoal.

According to Major Kaplan, he stressed the importance of this capture, indicating that Hezbollah activity in Latin America, especially in Colombia, is a reason to be alert for regional security. Although Israel is not directly involved in the capture, Kaplan indicated that the presence of figures related to Hezbollah in Colombia is an indication of the growing influence of this group in the region, which seeks financing in countries such as Colombia through drug trafficking and other illicit activities, Major Kaplan commented in an interview with Blu Radio.

The recent capture of the Colombian-Lebanese citizen Mahdy Akil Helbawi, alias “Jonathan or the Boss, in Colombia” was arrested in Cúcuta, Norte de Santander, during a joint operation of the Attorney General’s Office and the Dijin of the National Police, he was charged with crimes of money laundering, illicit enrichment and exploitation of natural resources. The investigation revealed that Helbawi was involved in the illegal production and export of charcoal from La Guajira to several countries in the Middle East, including Lebanon; it has exposed worrying connections between the terrorist organization Hezbollah and illicit activities in the country.

Helbawi’s connection with this international organized crime network was confirmed thanks to the cooperation of agencies such as the FBI, which provided effective information on the operations since 2016. The charcoal illegally extracted in Colombia was sent through the ports of Cartagena to Lebanon, Dubai, Israel and other countries in the Middle East, generating income for the terrorist organization.

Hezbollah, one of the world’s leading terrorist groups, is an Iranian-backed organization that has established a robust structure in various parts of the world, annexing Latin America.

According to Major Kaplan, Hezbollah is a “terrorist army,” and the group’s attempts to obtain financial support in Latin America are facilitated by a “political environment” that sometimes tolerates Islamic radicalism, creating a breeding ground for the growth of this type of organization.

The capture of Helbawi is part of an international effort to paralyze Hezbollah’s financing in the region. The Colombian prosecutor’s office, in collaboration with international authorities, has implemented measures to seize property and assets valued at more than 4.9 billion pesos. This money laundering network operated under the guise of an export company, which was directed to evade customs controls and hide illicit resources. In conclusion, Helbawi exported more than 2.4 million kilograms of charcoal without authorization, moving funds through 117 international transfers. Helbawi refused to enter into negotiations with Colombian authorities in exchange for providing information about his father, Amer Mohamed Akil Rada, who is wanted by the US authorities, who, in addition to his role as a high-ranking Hezbollah official, was one of the operatives who carried out the terrorist attack against the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) in 1994, which killed 85 people; he is currently serving his sentence with Colombian authorities in the La Modelo Prison in Cúcuta.

Written by Oscar El Blue