- Sen. John Curtis co-sponsoredf the bipartisan No Hezbollah in our Hemisphere Act, which would pressure Latin American countries to cut ties with Hezbollah.
- The legislation requires the U.S. Secretary of State to push Latin American governments to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.
- Curtis said Hezbollah has established an extensive network in Latin America for terrorism, organized crime, and drug trafficking.
Utah Sen. John Curtis is co-sponsoring the bipartisan No Hezbollah in our Hemisphere Act with Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev, which would put pressure on Latin American countries to cut ties with Hezbollah.
The bill requires the State Department to determine whether Latin American countries are terrorist sanctuaries and imposes restrictions on officials who currently support Hezbollah.
Bill sponsors say Hezbollah has built an extensive network in Latin America and uses the region for terrorism, organized crime and drug distribution.
“Hezbollah is directly responsible for the murder of hundreds of Americans,” Sen. Curtis said. “For too long, this Iranian-backed terrorist group has used Latin America as a safe haven for illicit financing, recruitment, and other criminal activities—fueling drug trafficking at our southern border and posing significant threats to our national security."
Curtis added, “My legislation with Senator Rosen directs the United States to take action on Hezbollah’s alarming presence in Latin America to help keep us and our allies, including Israel, safe from their terrorist ambitions.”
Sen. Rosen similarly described Hezbollah’s long presence in Latin America. “This is a threat to U.S. national security and cannot be tolerated,” she said. “That’s why I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan bill to make clear that we will not accept countries turning a blind eye to Hezbollah’s harmful actions.”
How would the No Hezbollah in our Hemisphere Act work?
The bill lays out steps for the Secretary of State to follow.
First, the proposed legislation requires the U.S. Secretary of State to demand that Latin American governments stop exemptions for Hezbollah supporters, work to “greylist” entities cooperating with terrorist groups and determine whether regional governments have the resources necessary to investigate terrorist activities.
Argentina’s model for terrorist designation should be used “as a blueprint” by these countries, it says.
Foreign government officials who do not comply with the legislation would face visa bans and travel restrictions when coming to the U.S. Further, if an official has an active visa to the U.S. and continues to support Hezbollah’s activities, their visa would be revoked immediately unless they take “verifiable steps” that show their connection with Hezbollah is severed.
“Few countries in the region have designated Hezbollah a terrorist organization or placed significant restrictions on its operations, and some countries even openly provide it with material support,” Tyler Stapleton, the Director of Government Relations and FDD Action, said in the bill’s press release.
The American Jewish Committee also endorsed the bill Friday morning on X, saying it would protect Jewish populations not only in the U.S, but in Latin American countries as well.