In recent years, particularly in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, US government officials have begun to examine South and Central American countries as potential hubs or bases for radical Islamic terrorist organizations. Concern has grown in that these groups could use these areas to carry out attacks or activities against the United States and Western interests in the region. The geographic proximity of many of these nations to the US, the prevalence of gangs and drug trafficking, and widespread poverty and corruption all make the region an attractive area for terrorists to operate.
Within the past few decades, an increasing number of individuals from Middle Eastern countries have migrated to the region, with some of the most prevalent Muslim communities located in Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. Furthermore, a growing number of members of the local population are also converting to Islam, particularly among impoverished communities of African Americans in the Caribbean islands. This growth of Islam throughout the region raises the potential for al-Qaeda linked militants or other extremists to reach out to those in these communities, due to the belief that these recruits would be better able to travel throughout the area, including to the US, and more effectively assimilate into the general population in Western cities.
Highlighting the potential threat posed by radical communities in Caribbean nations is the recently foiled plot to attack New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. Officials have stated their belief that the individuals involved in the plot were potentially tied to the radical Islamic organization Jamaat al-Muslimeen (JaM), which is based in Trinidad and Tobago and has a history of political and drug related violence (Previous Report).
Radical Groups Active in Latin America
US officials have indicated that there are radical groups tied to organizations like al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, and Al Gama’a al Islamiyya that are active in various countries throughout Latin America. These support groups are primarily raising funds through illegal activities such as drug trafficking and money laundering to send proceeds back to the Middle East. In particular, the area around the border region of Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil, known as the Tri-border or Triple Frontier, is a central region for such efforts, and is believed to be the center of a smuggling network run by Hezbollah that sends large sums of money to the Middle East which funds training camps and attacks carried out in South America.
Members of Hezbollah have already entered the US by first traveling to staging areas in Central and South America. For example, Mahmoud Youssef Kourani, who was charged and pled guilty to providing material support to Hezbollah, illegally entered the US after bribing a Mexican consular official in Lebanon to provide him with a visa to Mexico. Furthermore, in 2002 a café owner in Tijuana was arrested on charges of smuggling approximately 200 Lebanese individuals into the US, several of whom were believed to have a connection to Hezbollah.
Additionally, several high-ranking Mexican officials have issued statements indicating that at least one terrorist organization has established a base in their country. Adolfo Aguilar Zinser, the former Mexican ambassador to the United Nations stated in 2001 that such Islamic extremist groups were using the nation as a refuge.
Other arrests and incidents have further demonstrated the potential for terrorist operatives to gain access to the US through the use of South and Central American countries. In July 2004, Ashraf Ahmad Abdullah, an Egyptian, was detained at Miami International Airport on charges of organizing and operating a smuggling ring for Egyptians and other Arab individuals looking to travel to the US. Abdullah ran the ring from his home country of Guatemala, and while officials believe that he was interested primarily in personal profits and was not tied to any terrorist organization, his ability to smuggle aliens into the country demonstrates a possible vulnerability of the US.
State Supporters of Extremists
US authorities have grown increasingly concerned regarding Venezuela, which according to some officials is emerging as a potential base for terrorism in the Western Hemisphere as it provides assistance to radicals and extremists. US officials have indicated that the country has supplied travel and identity documents, such as passports and national ID cards, to individuals from foreign nations, including those that support or are home to terrorist organizations. Additionally, such documents are easily falsified, with smuggling organizations producing large numbers of these papers for their clients and other individuals selling them for profit. The Venezuelan government has not undertaken any measures to improve the security of these documents.
These false documents could potentially be used by extremists to gain entry into the US. The US Department of State has indicated in congressional testimony that border officials are increasingly detaining third-country aliens carrying forged or fraudulent Venezuelan documents.
The Challenges Ahead
The potential for extremists looking to carry out activities against the US to use South and Central American countries as a point of operation will remain a concern for US authorities in the long-term. Terrorist organizations may look to exploit weaknesses in these countries, such as political instability, poverty, and widespread criminal activity, in order to further their own aims.
The US will need to continue to address this concern in order to prevent the emergence of a significant threat to US interests in the region. While other issues, such as drug and arms trafficking and organized crime will likely remain the primary security dilemma in the area, these qualities also allow the potential for terrorists to infiltrate the region in possible efforts to act against the US.