U.S. arrests Hezbollah officials for drug cartel money laundering - from TRUNEWS

(TRUNEWS) Four people linked to Hezbollah have been arrested by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) under the charge of laundering money to finance terrorism.

On Monday, the DEA announced the arrests as part of an ongoing seven nation operation, initially launched in February to block Hezbollah from funding their terrorist operations in Syria and Lebanon with the profits made from laundering millions on behalf of Latin American drug cartels.

According to a statement made by DEA Acting Deputy Administrator, Jack Riley, the targeted Hezbollah division provided “”a revenue and weapons stream … responsible for devastating terror attacks around the world.”

DEA spokesman Rusty Payne told CNN, South American drug cartels partnered with the terror group by sending Hezbollah profits from their cocaine deals in Europe, which they then used to purchase high-end cars to be sent back to the cartels in South and Central America, occasionally hiding cash inside the vehicles.

The alliance between Hezbollah and the cartels is partly the result of plummeting oil prices and decreased support for the group by Iran, Ynetnews reported, noting that operatives’ salaries have also dropped, causing a crisis in morale.

Terrorism expert Matt Levitt of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy told CNN that through their drug deal operations, Hezbollah will soon be able to raise more funds than by any other means.

former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder – REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

Hezbollah’s partnership with South American drug cartels is not a new concept, as Rick Wiles of TRUNEWS has noted in the past that the former Attorney General Eric Holder also had a deal running with drug cartels, regarding the “Fast and Furious” scandal which involved U.S. weapons smuggling in exchange for drug money and political ammunition to pursue a gun control agenda.

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