Chekri Mahmoud Harb, (born on August 25, 1961) is a Lebanese-Colombian national key figure in Hezbollah-linked drug trafficking and money laundering operations. Designated by U.S. authorities for his criminal activities, he operated under aliases like "Taliban" and coordinated cocaine shipments from Colombia to Europe and the Middle East.[1][2]

Criminal activities

Drug trafficking

Harb facilitated large-scale cocaine shipments, with Hezbollah receiving 12% of the profits from his network. His operations involved partnerships with South American cartels, including the Medellín Cartel and La Oficina de Envigado.[3][4]

Money laundering

He used front companies like Comercial Jinan S.A. (Guatemala) and VARIEDADES HARB SPORT (Colombia) to launder millions of dollars, much of which funded Hezbollah.[5][1]

Arrest and sanctions

Harb was arrested in 2008 during Operation Titan, a U.S.-Colombian joint investigation targeting Hezbollah's narco-terrorism ties The U.S. Treasury designated him and his businesses under counterterrorism sanctions.[6][2]

Conviction

He faced charges for drug trafficking and money laundering, with evidence linking him to Hezbollah's financial networks in the tri-border area of South America.[7][8]

Regional impact

Harb's activities underscored Hezbollah's exploitation of Latin American drug routes to finance terrorism. His case highlighted concerns about the group's operational reach and the vulnerability of South American criminal networks to terrorist exploitation.[7][6]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Colombia Ties Drug Ring to Hezbollah". The New York Times. 2008. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
  2. ^ a b "Chekri Mahmoud Harb". OpenSanctions.org. 1961-08-25. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
  3. ^ "Episode 6: Operation Cedar Hezbollah Narco-Money Laundering". 2022.
  4. ^ "Episode 6: Operation Cedar Hezbollah Narco-Money Laundering". The Washington Institute. 2022.
  5. ^ "Treasury Designates Medellin Drug Lord Tied to Oficina de Envigado Organized Crime Group". U.S. Department of the Treasury. 2025-02-08. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
  6. ^ a b "The Nexus between Transnational Organized Crime and Terrorism in Latin America" (PDF). 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Hezbollah in Latin America: an over-hyped threat?". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
  8. ^ "Hizbullah narco-terrorism". 2012.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chekri_Mahmoud_Harb
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