Ileana Ros-Lehtinen: Iran Getting More Active in Latin America

We should not underestimate the Iranian influence and presence in the Western Hemisphere, Ros-Lehtinen said in a statement. We cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that many individuals have been sanctioned, indicted, and prosecuted due to their involvement with the Iranian regime, or its proxy Hezbollah, in this region of the world.

We know that terrorist cells are working throughout the Hemisphere to fundraise and finance their illicit and nefarious activities, she added before pointing to an incident in Argentina almost two decades ago. The AMIA bombing conducted by Hezbollah in 1994 serves as a somber reminder of the threat the Iranian regime poses to our allies in the region and our own national security, and the regime openly touted this connection when Supreme Leader Khamenei selected two individuals intimately connected with the bombing as final candidates in this months presidential elections.

Whether its the foiled plot by an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps member to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador on U.S. soil, or the DEA-led investigations into the Lebanese Canadian Bank money laundering scheme to finance terrorism using drug money, or Operation Titan which helped to dismantle Hezbollah activities in South America, it is clear that the Iranian regime is supporting operatives in the region, she said in conclusion. We must remain vigilant and do whatever is in our means to counter this growing threat.