Iran, Hezbollah cultivating business with drug cartels in Venezuela — Fox News

Retired special agent of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Derek Townsend, has claimed that Hezbollah is laundering money and building networks that assist drug cartels in moving funds through the Middle East, Caliber.Az writes via Fox News.

According to him, revenues from these operations are used to finance the group’s activities across the region. Townsend further noted that Iran’s partnership with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government enables Hezbollah to operate freely on Venezuelan soil.

The cooperation benefits both sides: Iran advances its interests safely through Hezbollah, while the Maduro regime gains financial advantages.

Yossi Citrinovich, a senior researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, added that Iran is investing not only in Venezuela’s military structures, including drone production facilities for the army, but also in its economy. Tehran is also training Venezuelan officials to bypass sanctions and has poured billions into the country. “As long as Maduro remains in power, the Iranians will stay. But if he falls, Iran will lose a key stronghold in Latin America,” the expert stressed.

Experts warn that Hezbollah’s “narco-empire” in Venezuela is no longer just a regional challenge but a direct threat to US homeland security.

These assessments come as Washington has deployed a naval fleet off Venezuela’s coast, officially to target drug cartels and criminal groups. However, reports suggest the US may be preparing for a potential armed conflict with Venezuela aimed at toppling Maduro, who is accused by experts of supporting the country’s cartels.

By Khagan Isayev