================================================================================ HEZBOLLAH FINANCIAL OPERATIONS INTELLIGENCE Treasury | DEA | OFAC Designations Classification: OPEN SOURCE Last Updated: 2026-01-03 ================================================================================ SOURCES: US Treasury, DEA, DOJ, FDD, Washington Institute, USIP ESTIMATED ANNUAL REVENUE: ~$1 Billion+ (Iran support + criminal enterprises) ================================================================================ [1] 2025 TREASURY/OFAC ACTIONS ================================================================================ NOVEMBER 2025 SANCTIONS: - OFAC sanctioned individuals funneling tens of millions from Iran to Hezbollah - Targeted exchange houses exploiting Lebanon's cash economy - Funds used for paramilitary forces and terrorist infrastructure rebuild SEPTEMBER 2025: - US offered $10 MILLION REWARD for Hezbollah financial network info JULY 2025: - Treasury sanctioned Hezbollah financial officials (sb0189) MARCH 2025: - Treasury targeted "Hizballah Finance Team Sanctions Evasion Network" (sb0063) KEY STAT: Since January 2025, IRGC-QF transferred over $1 BILLION to Hezbollah (mostly through money exchange companies) KEY INDIVIDUAL - OSSAMA JABER: - Hezbollah member supporting money exchange efforts - Works directly with Lebanese money changers - Sept 2024 - Feb 2025: Collected/converted TENS OF MILLIONS via exchange houses -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [2] MONEY LAUNDERING NETWORKS ================================================================================ AYMAN JOUMAA NETWORK: - Exposed by DEA 2011, Treasury linked to Hezbollah 2012 - Laundered up to $200 MILLION/MONTH for Mexican & Colombian cartels - Commission: 8-14% of laundered funds - Used Lebanese-Canadian bank (seized) NAZEM SAID AHMAD NETWORK (April 2023 Designation): - 52 individuals and entities across 9 countries designated - Facilitated payment/delivery of: cash, diamonds, precious gems, art, luxury goods - Considered "major Hezbollah financial donor" - Involved in "blood diamond" smuggling FRONT COMPANIES: - Used "seemingly legitimate businesses" per Treasury Sec. Mnuchin - Operations in DRC using bribery and political connections - Secured unfair market access, evaded taxes - Commercial projects generate millions for Hezbollah 2025 DIGITAL PAYMENT EXPLOITATION: - Groups use Whish Money and OMT digital services in Lebanon - Exploit weak AML/ATF rules - Donations to sanctioned charities via digital wallets - Money sent to private individual accounts (not official) - Difficult for sanctions compliance to detect -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [3] DRUG TRAFFICKING ================================================================================ DEA PROJECT CASSANDRA: - Targets global Hezbollah cocaine network - Operations in US and Europe - Connected to Mexican and Colombian cartels CAPTAGON TRAFFICKING: - Billion-dollar illicit enterprise - Benefits Assad regime and Hezbollah - OFAC designated individuals involved in production/trafficking BEKAA VALLEY OPERATIONS: - Hezbollah owns marijuana plantations - Hashish production facilities - Known involvement in cocaine and hashish trade LEBANON-SYRIA DRUG ROUTE: - Assad regime collapse (Dec 2024) degraded Hezbollah financial transfers - Syria served as key bridge to Iran for decades -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [4] SMUGGLING OPERATIONS ================================================================================ OIL SMUGGLING: - Hezbollah finance team manages oil smuggling networks - Often in conjunction with Iran's IRGC-QF - Generates millions in revenue GOLD SMUGGLING: - Gold smuggled from Iran to Turkey - Uses commercial flights on Mahan Air (US-designated Iranian airline) - Currency also smuggled via same routes DIAMOND SMUGGLING ("Blood Diamonds"): - Nazem Ahmad involved in blood diamond smuggling - Operations in DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) - Used for money laundering CIGARETTE SMUGGLING: - Documented North Carolina case (2000s) - Profits funneled to Hezbollah CASH SMUGGLING: - Bulk cash couriers documented - Lebanon's cash-based economy exploited -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [5] COUNTERFEITING ================================================================================ US CURRENCY COUNTERFEITING: - Treasury accused Hezbollah of raising funds via counterfeiting - High-quality counterfeit US dollars ("super notes" alleged) COUNTERFEIT MEDICINE: - Lebanese front companies deal in counterfeit medicine - Reported in Arab media DOCUMENT FORGERY: - Connected to smuggling operations - Passport/identity document fraud for operatives -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [6] FRONT BUSINESSES ================================================================================ SECTORS: - Construction companies - Real estate - Import/export businesses - Money exchange houses (sarrafs) - Electronics trade - Gold trading - Diamond trade - Commercial investments - Used car dealerships (documented) GEOGRAPHIC SPREAD: - Lebanon (primary) - DRC (diamonds, mining) - Latin America (drug money laundering) - West Africa - Europe - United States (prior to designations) KEY TREASURY STATEMENT: "Front companies generate millions of dollars in revenue for Hizballah and support the group's terrorist activities." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [7] KEY OFAC DESIGNATIONS ================================================================================ MAJOR CASES: April 2023 - Nazem Ahmad Network: - 52 individuals and entities - 9 countries - Diamonds, gems, art, luxury goods, cash March 2025 - Finance Team Sanctions Evasion: - Press release sb0063 - Targeted evasion networks July 2025 - Financial Officials: - Press release sb0189 November 2025 - Cash Economy Exploitation: - Press release sb0308 - Exchange house operators TREASURY PRESS RELEASES: - jy2648 - Captagon trafficking - jy1422 - Money laundering network - jy0362 - International terrorism financing - sm856 - Lebanon/DRC money launderers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [8] IRANIAN SUPPORT PIPELINE ================================================================================ IRGC-QF TRANSFERS: - $1 BILLION+ since January 2025 - Primarily through money exchange companies - Funds Hezbollah paramilitary and rebuild efforts SYRIA COLLAPSE IMPACT (December 2024): - Assad regime served as key support source - Was bridge to Iran for Hezbollah - Collapse "profoundly degraded" financial transfer capability ALTERNATIVE ROUTES: - Direct Iran-Lebanon via intermediaries - Iraq corridor - Turkey gold/currency smuggling - Digital payment exploitation -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [9] CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY & REPORTS ================================================================================ ATTACKING HEZBOLLAH'S FINANCIAL NETWORK (CHRG-115hhrg25730): - House hearing on policy options - govinfo.gov archived WASHINGTON INSTITUTE - Oct 2025: - "Global Gangsters: Hezbollah's Latin American Drug Trafficking Operations" - Senate Caucus testimony by Matthew Levitt - PDF: LevittTestimony20251021-Senate caucus.pdf FDD ANALYSIS (July 2024): - "How Hezbollah Fundraises Through Crime" - Comprehensive criminal enterprise overview -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [10] SOURCES ================================================================================ OFFICIAL: - US Treasury OFAC: home.treasury.gov - DEA Press Releases: dea.gov/press-releases - DOJ: justice.gov - USIP Iran Primer: iranprimer.usip.org THINK TANKS: - Washington Institute: washingtoninstitute.org - FDD: fdd.org - Cipher Brief: thecipherbrief.com REFERENCE: - Wikipedia: Funding of Hezbollah ================================================================================ END INTELLIGENCE DOCUMENT ================================================================================