The United States Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) has designated four (4) individuals and seven (7) entities as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (“SDGTs”). The designated parties are believed in be engaged in the provision of financial support of Foreign Terrorist Organization, Hizbollah.

According to OFAC, Ali Tajideen and Husayn Tajideen served as fundraisers for Hizballah and are said to be affiliated with Kassim Tajideen, an important financial contributor to Hizballah, who was designated as an SDGT in May 2009. In addition to the Tajideen brother, Bilal Mohsen Wehbe, a Hizballah member who has served, at the request of Hizballah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, as Hizballah’s chief representative in South America was also designated.

OFAC also alleges that Ali Tajideen is a former Hizballah commander in Hanouay, Tyre, Lebanon, and has provided cash to Hizballah, in sums as large as $1 million. Ali’s brother, Husayn Tajideen, is a primary Hizballah fundraiser and prominent Hizballah supporter in The Gambia.

The following businesses in the Tajideen brothers’ network were designated as part of OFAC’s most recent actions: Tajco, a multipurpose, multinational business venture involved in international trade as well as real estate; Kairaba Supermarket, a subsidiary business of Tajco Ltd; Congo Futur, a company operating in the food and diamond trades; Ovlas Trading S.A., a food manufacturing business. Golfrate Holdings (Angola) Lda, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ovlas Trading; another subsidiary of Ovlas Trading; Grupo Arosfran Empreendimentos E Participacoes Sarl (Grupo Arosfran): Grupo Arosfran yet another branch or a subsidiary of Ovlas Trading.

OFAC states that as Hizballah’s chief representative in South America, Bilal Mohsen Wehbe served as a liason between Hizballah leaders in Lebanon and Hizballah elements in South America. Furthermore, he has been accused of overseeing Hizballah’s counterintelligence activity in the Tri-Border Area (“TBA”) of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. As part of these duties, OFAC contends that Wehbe was involved in transferring funds collected in Brazil to Hizballah in Lebanon, including raising more than $500,000 for Hizballah from Lebanese businessmen in the TBA. It is also rumored that Wehbe worked for the office of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It is well known that Iran currently provides the majority of Hizballah’s budget.

The author of this blog is Erich Ferrari, an attorney specializing in OFAC litigation. If you have any questions please contact him at 202-280-6370 or ferrari@ferrari-legal.com.