U.S. intelligence findings have cast new light on what officials describe as a sophisticated transcontinental network involving Iran and Hezbollah, centered on the use of forged Venezuelan passports to facilitate the movement of operatives across borders.

Well-informed diplomatic sources told kataeb.org that extensive investigations uncovered serious irregularities in Venezuela’s passport and visa issuance system, including documents granted to individuals with links to terrorism. The findings are based on the review of thousands of records and interviews conducted in the United States, Spain, Venezuela, and the United Kingdom, revealing what the sources described as a complex web of official manipulation and politically driven illicit financial flows.

According to the sources, the origins of the scheme date back nearly two decades. A classified intelligence report revealed that former Venezuelan Vice President Tareck El Aissami authorized the issuance of more than 173 passports and national identity cards to individuals from the Middle East, including operatives affiliated with Hezbollah and Iran. The case highlights the sustained use of travel documents as instruments of influence and strategic leverage.

Interviews and official records indicate that the practice was neither isolated nor confined to a specific period. Beginning in the early 2000s, during the presidency of Hugo Chávez, Venezuelan authorities reportedly issued passports to individuals who were not bona fide citizens, exposing systemic vulnerabilities that were later exploited for political and military purposes.

Security concerns have since taken on added urgency. The same sources warned that Iran, acting through its regional and international proxies, may be planning retaliatory attacks inside the United States following U.S. airstrikes on June 22 that targeted three Iranian nuclear sites. Such scenarios underscore Tehran’s ability to rely on informal and covert networks to advance strategic objectives beyond the Middle East.

A Venezuelan passport allows visa-free entry to more than 130 countries, including 26 members of the European Union. While entry into the United States still requires a visa, investigators say forged Venezuelan documents remain a potent tool, enabling the discreet international movement of terrorist operatives and political actors alike.