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In April, about 2,000 children marched through the streets of Beirut armed with fake rockets in a rally organized by Hezbollah to mark the anniversary of an Israeli bombardment 10 years ago. (AFP/Ramzi Haidar) |
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The United States has detected the introduction of a powerful terrorist threat infiltrating from Mexico.
Officials said Hezbollah has been helping Shi'ite terrorists infiltrate the United States from Mexico in what could constitute hit squads directed by Iran. They said Hezbollah has already established a presence in South and Central America as well as Canada that has been aiding the smuggling effort in the United States.
"They are a bigger threat than al Qaeda," a law enforcement official said. "We know Hezbollah is here and they're getting more daring."
Officials said the FBI has uncovered a network that sought to smuggle Hezbollah terrorists into the United States through Mexico. They said the Hezbollah operatives were ordered to acquire night vision systems, laptops and advanced dual-use systems to bolster the terrorist group’s military posture along the southern Lebanese border with Israel.
FBI Director Robert Mueller first disclosed Hezbollah efforts to infiltrate the United States during a House Appropriations Committee hearing on March 9. Mr. Mueller said Hezbollah has established a smuggling network meant to increase the presence of the terrorist group in the United States.
Later, officials elaborated that Hezbollah has already established a network in several Arab communities in the United States. They said the networks have intensified efforts to smuggle Hezbollah terrorists from both the Mexican and Canadian borders.
U.S. authorities have captured Hezbollah operatives over the last few months. On March 1, Mahmoud Youssef Kourani was sentenced to five years after he pleaded guilty to paying Hezbollah to be smuggled over the Mexican border in 2001.
On March 30, 19 people were indicted for extortion, money laundering, thefts and illegal trade in a Hezbollah effort that was believed to have garnered an estimated $20 million. The network was uncovered in the city of Dearborn, Michigan and believed to have taken orders from Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Officials said Hezbollah imposed a so-called "resistance tax" on the businesses of Arab immigrants in the Detroit area. Those who refused were threatened in tactics that resembled the Mafia.
"The case evidences a real serious federal effort to combat funding of terrorism at its root," said Stephen Murphy, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. "The grand jury returned a sweeping indictment that uncovered a racketeering operation that helped fund Hezbollah."
Officials said Hezbollah launched its network in the United States in 1996. They said money collected in the United States have helped fund Middle East bombers financed by Hezbollah.
Over the last four years, the Bush administration has blacklisted nearly a dozen entities for alleged links to Hezbollah. In March, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions against three Hezbollah media facilities that helped recruit operatives and transfer money.
"The biggest fear is that Iran could activate Hezbollah to carry out strikes within the United States should there be an attack on Tehran's nuclear program," an official said. "These guys are well-trained and you could be sure they have already been surveilling targets." | 
