Sen. John Curtis
A bipartisan bill led by U.S. Sen. John Curtis (R-UT) would counter efforts by the Iran-backed Hezbollah to conduct terrorist activities in Latin America.
On March 4, Sen. Curtis introduced the No Hezbollah In Our Hemisphere Act, S. 842, with original cosponsor U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) to specifically direct the U.S. State Department and other federal agencies to assess and counter Hezbollah’s influence in Latin America.
“My legislation with Sen. Rosen directs the United States to take action on Hezbollah’s alarming presence in Latin America to help keep us and our allies, including Israel, safe from their terrorist ambitions,” Sen. Curtis said.
If enacted, S. 842 would require an official determination of whether any Latin American country meets the legal definition of a terrorist sanctuary and would impose restrictions on officials who support Hezbollah, according to a bill summary provided by the senators.
“Hezbollah is directly responsible for the murder of hundreds of Americans,” said Sen. Curtis. “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.”
Specifically, S. 842 would require the U.S. 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, the bill summary says.
Additionally, the bill would 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, and impose visa bans and travel restrictions on foreign government officials and financial actors who support Hezbollah’s activities.
Also, S. 842 would permit the U.S. president to grant exemptions for law enforcement objectives or compliance with U.S. international obligations, such as agreements with the United Nations. Sanctions could be lifted if a foreign individual or government demonstrates credible efforts to eliminate Hezbollah’s activities within their jurisdiction, the summary says.
The measure is supported by the nonprofit FDD Action.
“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 Sen. Rosen. “This is a threat to U.S. national security and cannot be tolerated.”