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The Close Ties Between Venezuela, Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas
Hours ago, U.S. forces captured the Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores.
What remains to be fully revealed is Venezuela's close ties with Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas.
Iran is very active in Venezuela. The relationship between the two countries has strengthened Iran's broader influence in Latin America and enabled its proxies, such as Hezbollah, to evade U.S. sanctions and facilitate transnational crime.
Under Maduro, Venezuela provided a safe haven and operational base for Iran's proxies, including Hezbollah and Hamas. Iran has been crucial in helping the Maduro regime evade U.S. sanctions by exchanging gasoline, oil, and infrastructure assistance for gold and other currency.
The military security ties between Iran and Venezuela include the reported sale of weapons systems, a drone manufacturing facility in Venezuela, and training personnel.
Hezbollah has had a presence in Venezuela since the 1990s, providing Iran and Hezbollah with uncomfortably close access to the U.S.
Hamas is part of this global threat matrix. Under the now-U.S.-captured President Nicolas Naduro, relations between Venezuela and Hamas were concerning, with Venezuela providing political support, diplomatic legitimacy, and, according to some, operational support to Hamas.
The relationship between Venezuela and Hamas dates back to at least 2006, after Hamas won the Palestinian elections. At the time, Venezuela announced that it welcomed Hamas leaders and recognized Gaza as an independent Palestinian state. The Maduro government, which has frequently hosted high-level Hamas delegations with official honors, has long regarded Hamas as a legitimate "national liberation movement" rather than a terrorist group.
The close relationship among Venezuela, Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas has long been a source of concern for U.S. intelligence officials.
U.S. government reports and national security analysis suggest a convergence among Venezuelan drug cartels (specifically the "Cartel of the Suns") and state actors, and between Hamas and Hezbollah.
This convergence has reportedly created a pathway for moving drugs, laundering money, funding weapons, and trafficking through familial and clan structures embedded within the Venezuelan government apparatus, posing a serious and dangerous threat to Western security.
Allegations have suggested that the Venezuelan government had lost control of its borders, making this concerning intersection possible.
In 2020, the U.S. charged a Venezuelan politician and Maduro ally with narco-terrorism offenses, including coordinating with Hezbollah and Hamas to traffic cocaine.
Although Venezuela severed diplomatic ties with Israel in 2009, it is essential to note that while the Venezuelan government under Maduro maintained diplomatic relations with Hamas, the opposition, led by Maria Corina Machado, has officially designated Hamas as a terrorist organization and seeks to restore ties with Israel.
