Since the mid-1980s, the Lebanese based terrorist organization Hezbollah, has operated in Latin America while engaging in illegal activities — such as money laundering and drug trafficking — in order to finance and expand its global terrorism. The group is also responsible for several terrorist attacks in Latin America, notably the bombing of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992, which killed 29, and the car bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, which killed 85. More recently, in 2023, Brazilian authorities disrupted a Hezbollah plot to attack Jewish targets in the country.
Sen. John Curtis has introduced the No Hezbollah in Our Hemisphere Act, which aims to identify and deter Hezbollah activity in Latin America. The proposal would require the secretary of state to assess whether any countries in Latin America qualify as a terrorist sanctuary state. The bill would also impose travel and visa restrictions on government officials and financial actors who support Hezbollah and its operations.
While this bill is necessary in bringing attention to Hezbollah activity in the Western Hemisphere, it falls short of any meaningful action. The legislation does not include measures that would effectively deter states from supporting Hezbollah. In order to effectively combat Hezbollah, Congress would have to pass legislation with harsher sanctions, as well as intelligence cooperation initiatives throughout the region.
The United States must be careful as sanctions in Latin America may push states to seek economic assistance from adversary nations such as China. This act is a good start, but Congress must propose harsher legislation — while maintaining U.S. influence in Latin America — if they want to effectively curb Hezbollah’s presence in the hemisphere.
Ayden Choate, Salt Lake City
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