For many years, the United States directed its counterterrorism efforts primarily towards the Middle East and Asia. However, a troubling mix of international terrorism and transnational crime started to brew much closer, particularly in Latin America, with Venezuela at the forefront. The Trump administration eventually took steps to address this. The shifting situation in Venezuela now has significant implications for U.S. national security.
The media often depicts U.S. actions in Venezuela as primarily a drug trafficking issue, but the reality runs much deeper.
Allowing adversarial powers to entrench themselves in the Western Hemisphere endangers not only economic interests but also the stability of entire nations.
Iran’s support of Hezbollah in Latin America dates back to the mid-1980s. Initially focused on financing and money laundering, particularly in the border region between Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, it has since morphed into an extensive network of criminal and terrorist activities. This network was responsible for a devastating attack in Argentina during the 1990s. Over time, Hezbollah expanded its operations into areas like recruitment and strategic planning, becoming more integrated throughout the region.
The situation escalated significantly in 2012 with the establishment of a strategic partnership between Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez. This alliance not only rendered Iran a state sponsor of terrorism in the Western Hemisphere but also heightened its operational capabilities in the region, enabling the movement of money, oil, and personnel, even allowing for drone production in Venezuela.
Law enforcement in the U.S. recognized these emerging threats. The Narcotics Control Bureau launched Project Cassandra, aimed at uncovering Hezbollah’s shift into a global criminal entity. The DEA monitored cocaine shipments routed from Latin America through West Africa to Europe, the Middle East, and the States. Investigative work revealed a network capable of generating around $1 billion annually from drug trafficking and smuggling operations.
However, the Obama administration curtailed Project Cassandra in pursuit of a nuclear agreement with Iran, leaving much of the criminal organization’s infrastructure untouched. As a result, Hezbollah-related networks continue to operate in the region largely unimpeded.
During Nicolas Maduro’s leadership, Venezuela not only fell into disarray but also became a crucial operational base for Iran. The regime helped facilitate the movement of personnel and tools across Latin America while Iran supported Venezuela’s oil sector with necessary equipment, thus enabling Maduro to withstand sanctions.
Furthermore, Venezuela has been known to issue numerous passports and national IDs to individuals from the Middle East, many linked to Hezbollah, granting them the ability to travel freely—an alarming situation posing a direct threat to U.S. and regional security. The capacity to traverse borders without detection is an invaluable asset for terrorist organizations, and Venezuela was all too willing to provide that access.
In light of these escalating threats, the Trump administration took unprecedented actions, including an oil blockade and designating Maduro’s regime as a foreign terrorist organization, ultimately leading to charges against him in the U.S.
For the first time in decades, the Western Hemisphere has become central to U.S. national security strategy. The implications of the Monroe Doctrine are now more pronounced, committing the United States to preventing non-hemispheric powers—like Iran, Russia, China, and Turkey—from deploying troops or controlling strategic resources in the Americas.
Evidence of cooperation between U.S. adversaries and Venezuela is, at this point, still somewhat conjectural. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs publicly acknowledges Venezuela as a strategic ally, with Russia supplying arms and establishing military installations there, even a factory for Kalashnikov rifles. Additionally, more recently, they have equipped Venezuela with S-300 surface-to-air missile systems.
China has similarly ingrained itself in Venezuela, becoming the top oil importer and investing over $60 billion in various projects. Approximately 7% of China’s oil imports come from Venezuela, which further bolsters Maduro’s grip on power and, in turn, aids China’s economy.
As leftist governments in Latin America transition to more pro-American administrations, the isolation of Venezuela has paradoxically made it even more attractive to hostile entities, turning the nation into a forward operating base against the United States.
The potential impact is concerning; Iranian ballistic missiles, if stationed in Venezuela, could inflict substantial damage even without nuclear warheads. When factoring in possible Russian or Chinese nuclear capabilities, the stakes rise from a mere strategic challenge to a potentially catastrophic situation.
Allowing hostile powers to flourish in the Western Hemisphere jeopardizes not just economic interests but the very existence of nations. The merging of terrorist and criminal networks in Venezuela has become a clear and present danger that necessitates urgent action.
The United States must prioritize maintaining a secure hemisphere. Ignoring threats in our own backyard invites disaster. This stark reality is not lost on the Tehran regime, which, perhaps for the first time, senses its precarious position.
