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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated four individuals and three entities involved in laundering the proceeds of narcotics trafficking for drug kingpin Ayman Joumaa. Treasury also designated a Colombia-based individual under its terrorism authority, Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, for directing Hizballah’s fundraising activities in the Americas. This individual was previously designated under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act) for his role in narcotics-related money laundering. Today’s designations further expose Ayman Joumaa’s network as a major narcotics and money laundering enterprise that has reach throughout the Americas and the Middle East with links to Hizballah. As with the February 2011 action against Lebanese Canadian Bank, these actions again highlight Hizballah’s links to major South American narcotics money laundering organizations.
“The Joumaa network is a sophisticated multi-national money laundering ring, which launders the proceeds of drug trafficking for the benefit of criminals and the terrorist group Hizballah,” said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen. “We and our partners will continue to aggressively map, expose and disable this network, as we are doing with today’s sanctions.”
Abbas Hussein Harb and Ibrahim Chibli
Abbas Hussein Harb and Ibrahim Chibli are being designated today pursuant to the Kingpin Act for collaboration with designated drug kingpin Ayman Joumaa in the movement of millions of dollars of narcotics-related proceeds. Harb’s Colombia- and Venezuela-based organization launders money for the Joumaa network through the Lebanese financial sector. Chibli used his position as the manager of the Abbassieh branch of Fenicia Bank in Lebanon to facilitate the movement of money for Joumaa and Harb. For example, in 2010, Joumaa moved over a million dollars into an account owned by Harb and managed by Chibli. Harb is a dual citizen of Venezuela and Lebanon, and Chibli is a Lebanese national.
Ali Mohamad Saleh
Ali Mohamad Saleh, a Lebanese Colombian national, is also being designated today pursuant to E.O. 13224 as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist for acting for or on behalf of and providing financial, material, or technological support to Hizballah. Saleh is a key Hizballah facilitator who has directed and coordinated Hizballah activity in Colombia. He is a former Hizballah fighter with knowledge of Hizballah operations plans due to his contact with Hizballah authorities in Lebanon. As of July 2010, Saleh was a contact of Hizballah’s Foreign Relations Department and has maintained communication with suspected Hizballah operatives in Venezuela, Germany, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia. Saleh was the acting leader of a Hizballah support cell in Maicao, Colombia that raised funds for transfer to Hizballah. In this role, Saleh solicited donations for Hizballah from business owners and residents. Saleh coordinated the transfer of checks and U.S. dollars by courier from Maicao via Venezuela to Hizballah in Lebanon. He was previously designated under the Kingpin Act on December 29, 2011, for his role as a Maicao based money launderer for the Cheaitelly/El Khansa criminal organization, which is linked to the Joumaa network. Saleh is the brother of Joumaa-network associate Kassem Mohamad Saleh, who was also named today under the Kingpin Act for his role in supporting Abbas Hussein Harb.
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