Authors: Matthew Levitt
Although the plot to assassinate al-Jubeir was foiled, the incident was a wake-up call for the United States in two respects. First, it indicated that Iran is no longer hesitant to cross the proverbial redline and carry out operations on US soil. Second, Iran’s attempt to recruit a Mexican hit man to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States in a Georgetown café highlighted the breadth of cooperation that is possible along America’s southern border.
1.
“FBI: Radicalized Individuals, Hezbollah Are Potential Threats for Detroit-Area Jews,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, April 25, 2012.
2.
Author interview with former FBI official, Washington, DC, February 23, 2011.
3.
Ibid.
4.
Author telephone interview with former FBI official, September 25, 2009; author email interview with former FBI official, April 29, 2010.
5.
State of Ohio v. Ali Abdul Nasrallah
, Court of Appeals of Ohio, Sixth District, Lucas County, No. L-99-1194, September 1, 2000; Michael D. Sallah, “Terror Links Sought in Credit Card Scam,”
The Blade
(Toledo, OH), December 15, 2002.
6.
State of Ohio v. Ali Abdul Nasrallah
; Sallah, “Terror Links Sought.”
7.
Sallah, “Terror Links Sought.”
8.
State of Ohio v. Ali Abdul Nasrallah
; Sallah, “Terror Links Sought.”
9.
Sallah, “Terror Links Sought.”
10.
State of Ohio v. Ali Abdul Nasrallah
.
11.
Sallah, “Terror Links Sought.”
12.
Ibid.
13.
Ibid.
14.
Author interview with former FBI official, Detroit, MI, September 25, 2009; author email interview with former FBI official, April 29, 2010.
15.
Nathan Koppel, “They Call It RICO,”
Wall Street Journal
, January 20, 2011. For background on the RICO Act, see Mark Gordon, “Ideas Shoot Bullets: How the RICO Act Became a Potent Weapon in the War against Organized Crime,”
Concept Journal
26 (2003).
16.
Author email interview with former FBI official, April 29, 2010.
17.
US Department of Justice, United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Michigan, bank fraud press release, April 26, 2004; US Department of Justice, United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Michigan, “Final Defendant Sentenced in 17-Member Complex Fraud Scheme,” press release, February 21, 2007; Associated Press, “Grand Jury Indicts 12 Dearborn Residents in Credit Card Fraud Scheme,” April 26, 2004.
18.
United States of America v. Ali Abdul-Karim Farhat
, Affidavit of FBI Agent Karen Pertuso, Affidavit in Support of Complaint, Case No. 04-80044, United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, January 14, 2004.
19.
United Press International, “FBI Probes Drug Money for Terrorists Deal,” January 21, 2004; Associated Press, “Michigan Brothers Charged in Drug Ring, Links to Hezbollah Alleged,” January 21, 2004.
20.
United States of America v. Ali Abdul-Karim Farhat
, Affidavit of Karen Pertuso.
21.
Associated Press, “Michigan Brothers Charged.”
22.
Robert E. Pierre and Allan Lengel, “Detroit FBI Chief Cleared in Drug Ring Leak Probe,”
Washington Post
, February 6, 2004.
23.
Associated Press, “Brothers Suspected of Hezbollah Ties Freed on Bond in Drug Case,” February 4, 2004.
24.
US Department of Justice, United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Michigan, “Final Defendant Sentenced in 17-Member Complex Fraud Scheme.”
25.
Author interview with federal officials, Detroit, MI, May 10, 2010.
26.
United States of America v. Elias Mohamad Akhdar et al
., Indictment, United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division, January 23, 2003; Jim Irwin, “Cigarette Smugglers Fed Money to Hezbollah, Feds Say,” Associated Press, February 5, 2003.
27.
United States of America v. Elias Mohamad Akhdar et al
., Indictment; David Shepardson, “Dearborn Resident Pleads Guilty to Terror Charges,”
Detroit News
, September 19, 2003.
28.
United States of America v. Elias Mohamad Akhdar et al
., Indictment.
29.
Ibid.;
United States of America v. Elias Mohamad Akhdar
, Government’s Written Proffer.
30.
PoliceOne Critical Alert, “Terrorism-Related Arrests in Va., Mich; One Officer Shot,”
Policeone.com
, February 5, 2003.
31.
Stewart Bell, “Canadian Accused of Smuggling Cigarettes to Fund Lebanese Terrorism,”
National Post
(Canada), February 5, 2003.
32.
Irwin, “Cigarette Smugglers Fed Money.”
33.
Bell, “Canadian Accused of Smuggling.”
34.
United States of America v. Elias Mohamad Akhdar
, Government’s Written Proffer;
United States of America v. Elias Mohamad Akhdar et al
., Indictment.
35.
“Hizbullah Denies Connection with Three Lebanese Indicted in U.S.,”
Daily Star
(Lebanon), February 17, 2003.
36.
United States of America v. Hassan Moussa Makki
, Government’s Written Proffer in Support of Its Request for Detention Pending Trial, Criminal No. 03-80079, United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division, April 4, 2003;
United States of America v. Elias Mohamad Akhdar et al
., Indictment.
37.
Shepardson, “Dearborn Resident Pleads Guilty.”
38.
United States of America v. Hassan Moussa Makki
, Government’s Written Proffer in Support of Its Request for Detention Pending Trial, Criminal No. 03-80079, United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division, April 4, 2003;
United States of America v. Elias Mohamad Akhdar et al
., Indictment.
39.
United States of America v. Imad Mohamad-Musbah Hammoud et al
., Opinion and Order Denying Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss Indictment, Criminal No. 03-80406, United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division, May 16, 2008.
40.
United States of America v. Imad Mohamad-Musbah Hammoud et al
., Indictment, Criminal No. 03-80406, United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division, April 4, 2004.
41.
Ibid.
42.
United States of America v. Imad Mohamad-Musbah Hammoud et al
., Opinion and Order.
43.
Author telephone interview with former FBI official, September 25, 2009.
44.
United States of America v. Imad Mohamad-Musbah Hammoud et al
., Indictment; author telephone interview with former FBI official, September 25, 2009; see also
United States of America v. Tarek Makki
, Plea Agreement, Criminal No. 03-80617, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division, October 5, 2005.
45.
United States of America v. Tarek Makki
, Plea Agreement;
United States of America v. Tarek Makki
, Defendants’ Sentencing Memorandum, Criminal No. 03-80617, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division, March 10, 2006.
46.
Author telephone interview with former FBI official, September 25, 2009; author interview with federal officials, Detroit, MI, May 10, 2010.
47.
Author interview with federal officials, Detroit, MI, May 10, 2010.
48.
Michael Isikoff, “Nasrallah’s Men inside America,”
Daily Beast
, August 13, 2006.
49.
Jaime Holguin, “Bogus Viagra Business Booms,”
CBS News
, February 11, 2009.
50.
United States Drug Enforcement Administration,
DEA History in Depth: 1999–2003
,“Operation Mountain Express I, II, and III (2000–2002)” (accessed May 14, 2012).
51.
Greg Krikorian, “Terrorists Received Drug Money, U.S. Says,”
Los Angeles Times
, May 10, 2002.
52.
Associated Press, “Drug Money For Hezbollah?”
CBS News
, February 11, 2009.
53.
United States of America v. Imad Mohamad-Musbah Hammoud et al
., Indictment; author telephone interview with former FBI official, September 25, 2009.
54.
United States of America v. Imad Mohamad-Musbah Hammoud et al
., Indictment; author telephone interview with former FBI official, September 25, 2009; author interview with federal officials, Detroit, MI, May 10, 2010.
55.
Author interview with federal officials, Detroit, MI, May 10, 2010.
56.
United States of America v. Imad Mohamad-Musbah Hammoud et al
., Indictment.
57.
Author email interview with former FBI official, April 29, 2010.
58.
United States of America v. Imad Mohamad-Musbah Hammoud et al
., Indictment.
59.
Roi Kais, “Hezbollah Funding Terror with Fake Medicine,”
YnetNews
, September 10, 2012.
60.
United States of America v. Imad Mohamad-Musbah Hammoud et al
., Indictment.
61.
National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States,
9/11 Commission Report
, released July 22, 2004, pp. 240–41;
United States of America v. Mahmoud Youssef Kourani
, Indictment, Criminal No. 03-81030, United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division, November 19, 2003.
62.
US CIA, “Expanding Links between Alien Smugglers and Extremists.”
63.
United States of America v. Mahmoud Youssef Kourani
, First Superseding Indictment, March 1, 2005; Pauline Arrillaga and Olga R. Rodriguez, “The Terror-Immigration Connection,” MSNBC, July 3, 2005; Associated Press, “Hizballah Fundraiser Sentenced to Prison,”
Los Angeles Times
, June 15, 2005.
64.
United States of America v. Sealed Matter
, Affidavit of FBI Agent Timothy T. Waters, Misc. No. 03-x-71722, United States District Court Eastern District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division, April 15, 2004.
65.
United States of America v. Mahmoud Youssef Kourani
, Government’s Written Proffer in Support of Detention Pending Trial, Criminal No. 03-81030, United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division, January 20, 2004.
66.
United States of America v. Mahmoud Youssef Kourani
, Indictment.
67.
United States of America v. Sealed Matter
, Affidavit of Timothy T. Waters.
68.
United States of America v. Mahmoud Youssef Kourani
, Indictment.
69.
United States of America v. Mahmoud Youssef Kourani
, Government’s Written Proffer.
70.
United States of America v. Mahmoud Youssef Kourani
, Indictment;
United States of America v. Sealed Matter
, Affidavit of Timothy T. Waters.
71.
United States of America v. Mahmoud Youssef Kourani
, Indictment.
72.
United States of America v. Sealed Matter
, Affidavit of Timothy T. Waters.
73.
United States of America v. Mahmoud Youssef Kourani
, Government’s Written Proffer.
74.
United States of America v. Sealed Matter
, Affidavit of Timothy T. Waters.
75.
David Shepardson, “Feds: Man Hid Terror Cash,”
Detroit News
, January 16, 2004.
76.
United States of America v. Mahmoud Youssef Kourani
, Government’s Written Proffer.
77.
Author interview with federal officials, Detroit, MI, May 10, 2010.
78.
United States of America v. Sealed Matter
, Judgment, Criminal No. 03CR81030-1, United States District Court Eastern District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division, June 20, 2005.
79.
United States of America v. Mahmoud Youssef Kourani
, Government’s Written Proffer.
80.
Ibid.
81.
United States of America v. Sealed Matter
, Affidavit of Timothy T. Waters.
82.
Author interview with federal officials, Detroit, MI, May 10, 2010.
83.
Associated Press, “Terror-Linked Migrants Channeled into U.S.,”
Fox News
, July 3, 2005.
84.
“Myrick Calls for Taskforce to Investigate Presence of Hezbollah on the US Southern Border,” letter from US Congresswoman Sue Myrick to Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, June 23, 2010.
85.
Ibid.
86.
Tucson Police Department, Tucson Urban Area Security Initiative, “International Terrorism Situational Awareness: Hezbollah,” September 20, 2010.
87.
“Border Security 2010: Year in Review, Open Source Reporting,” Arizona Division of Emergency Management.
88.
United States of America v. Jamal Yousef
, Sealed Indictment, S3 08 Cr. 1213, United States District Court, Southern District of New York, July 6, 2009.
89.
Jack Koury, “Mexico Thwarts Hezbollah Bid to Set up South American Network,”
Haaretz
(Tel Aviv), July 6, 2010.
90.
United States of America v. Riad Skaff
, Government’s Sentencing Memorandum, No. 07CR0041, United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, May 27, 2008.
91.
United States of America v. Riad Skaff
, Government’s Sentencing Memorandum;
United States of America v. Riad Skaff
, Affidavit of ICE Special Agent Matthew Dublin, January 29, 2007.
92.
United States of America v. Riad Skaff
, Affidavit of Colonel Kevin M. McDonnell, April 24, 2008.