HomeMy WebLinkAboutR-17-0419City of Miami
Resolution R-17-0419
Legislation
City Hall
3500 Pan American Drive
Miami, FL 33133
www.miamigov.com
File Number: 2796 Final Action Date: 9/19/2017
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION CALLING FOR ACTION
AGAINST SUSPECTED HEZBOLLAH TERROR FINANCE AND MONEY
LAUNDERING OPERATIONS IN THE CITY OF MIAMI; DIRECTING THE CITY
CLERK TO TRANSMIT A COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION TO THE OFFICIALS
STATED HEREIN.
SPONSOR(S): Tomas Regalado
WHEREAS, the Annex to Executive Order 12947 of January 23, 1995 listed Hizballah
(hereinafter, "Hezbollah) as a "Terrorist Organization Which Threaten[s] To Disrupt The Middle
East Peace Process;" and
WHEREAS, the Department of State designated Hezbollah as a "Foreign Terrorist
Organization" in 1997; and
WHEREAS, in 2006, the United States Department of the Treasury ("Treasury")
designated nine (9) individuals and two (2) entities, who are located in the Tri-Border Area of
Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, as supporters of Hezbolla because of their financial and
logistical support; and
WHEREAS, said individuals and entities have also provided financial and other services
for Specially Designated Global Terrorist ("SDGT") Assad Ahmad Barakat, who was previously
designated in June, 2004 for his support to Hezbollah leadership; and
WHEREAS, in 2010, seven (7) individuals were prosecuted in Miami for violating United
States' sanctions and trading with Hezbollah's SDGTs in the Tri-Border area; and
WHEREAS in February, 2017, the Treasury designated Venezuelan Vice -President
Tareck el-Aissami under the Kingpin Act for using Miami based front companies to launder
revenue from drug traffickers; and
WHEREAS in May, 2017, in testimony before the United States Senate Foreign
Relations Committee's Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies' Senior Fellow Dr. Emanuele Ottolenghi alleged that there are more than 400
companies operating in the Greater Miami metropolitan area with ties to the Tri-Border Area;
and
WHEREAS, Dr. Ottolenghi further alleged that there was evidence that Hezbollah relied
on Florida -based companies to launder money, specifically, in a 2008 scheme to defraud the
Florida State Treasury of approximately $5.7 million in state funds by Lebanese national Ali
Hassan Hammoud; and
WHEREAS, in June, 2017, Ali Issa Chamas, a Lebanese national with Paraguayan
citizenship and allegedly involved with Hezbollah, was extradited to the United States and
City of Miami Page 1 of 3 File ID: 2796 (Revision:) Printed On: 3/24/2025
File ID: 2796 Enactment Number: R-17-0419
indicted in Miami for conspiracy to distribute cocaine knowing that it would be imported into the
United States; and
WHEREAS, the Miami City Commission and the Miami Mayor desire to enact
preventative measures against the use of Miami as a hub for Hezbollah and other Foreign
Terrorist Organization and Latin American based narco-traffickers' money laundering
operations, as well as to facilitate the prosecution of those who are exploiting Miami's business
environment to launder revenues from illicit activities, including terror finance;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI, FLORIDA:
Section 1. The recitals and findings contained in the Preamble to this Resolution are
adopted by reference and incorporated as if fully set forth in this Section.
Section 2. The Mayor and Miami City Commission support the recommendations
presented by Dr. Ottolenghi to the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Sub -
Committee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human
Rights, and Global Women Issues on May 10, 2017.
Section 3. The Miami City Commission urges the Mayor to liaise with law
enforcement authorities at the local, state, and federal level and to brief the City Commission on
the nature and extent of the threat posed by terror organizations, the status of ongoing
investigations, and to provide possible remedies.
Section 4. The Mayor and Miami City Commission urge local, state, and federal law
enforcement officials to open investigations into the companies referred to in the
aforementioned testimony by Dr. Ottolenghi and further urges airport and port authorities,
customs authorities, and border control authorities to enhance their vigilance and monitoring of
merchandise and people entering and exiting the country through the ports and airports in order
to ensure that smuggling and trade -based money laundering does not continue to occur in the
City of Miami.
Section 5. The City Clerk is directed to transmit a copy of this Resolution to Senator
Marco Rubio, Committee Member of the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee's
Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere; Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney
for the Southern District of Florida; Jeff Sessions, Attorney General of the Unites States; George
L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Miami Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigations; and
Rick Swearingen, Commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Section 6. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption and
signature of the Mayor.'
1 If the Mayor does not sign this Resolution, it shall become effective at the end of ten (10) calendar days
from the date it was passed and adopted. If the Mayor vetoes this Resolution, it shall become effective
immediately upon override of the veto by the City Commission.
City of Miami Page 2 of 3 File ID: 2796 (Revision:) Printed on: 3/24/2025
File ID: 2796 Enactment Number: R-17-0419
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESS:
City of Miami Page 3 of 3 File ID: 2796 (Revision:) Printed on: 3/24/2025