http://www.academia.edu/37878195/Venezuela_s_toxic_relations_with_Iran_and_Hezbollah_an_avenue_of_violence_crime_corruption_and_terrorism
Kingpins and corruption: Targeting transnational organized crime in the Americas
Key Points
Transnational organized crime resides at the heart of nearly every major threat confronting the Americas today. These organizations systematically degrade democratic institutions and the rule of law, stunting economic growth and stifling legitimate commerce and investment.
The threat of transnational organized crime in the Americas requires greater focus and investment from policymakers to effectively combat illicit trafficking networks, corrupt government officials, gang activity and violence, and the growing presence of hostile extra-regional actors such as Iran and its proxy, Hezbollah.
The US government should engage with regional allies to restore the hemispheric coalition against transnational organized crime. The Trump administration can lead the way by applying asymmetrical policy tools such as targeted sanctions while also working to enhance enforcement capabilities, promote economic development, and develop counterterrorism legal frameworks in neighboring states.
Transnational organized crime resides at the
heart of nearly every major threat confronting
the Americas today, whether it is the deadly opioid
crisis hurting US communities, the catastrophic collapse of oil-rich Venezuela, or debilitating gang violence throughout Central America, which spills over
into the streets of American cities. These crises can
be traced to criminal networks that garner billions
from the production of illicit drugs, human trafficking, and extortion.
These organizations relentlessly attack democratic
institutions and the rule of law, stunting economic
growth and stifling legitimate commerce and investment. Their criminal networks, largely bankrolled by consumers of illicit drugs in the United States and Europe,
respect no borders and operate with virtual impunity in
countries ravaged by corruption and violence.
Disrupting those transnational operations requires
international cooperation, and for decades, US aid and
diplomacy has prioritized this partnership. Regrettably, political developments have undermined the
willingness or capability of key states in the Western
Hemisphere to effectively implement efforts against
transnational organized crime.
Now, more than ever, the United States must work
with regional allies to restore the hemispheric coalition against transnational organized crime. US policymakers can lead the way by applying asymmetrical
tools, such as financial sanctions targeting transnational organized crime kingpins and corrupt officials,
and working to enhance local enforcement capabilities and promote economic development. Such proactive engagement signals US resolve to confront the
transnational organized crime threat and levels the
playing field for states that lack the resources to confront these powerful syndicates.
This report focuses on the threat posed by transnational organized crime in the Americas, elucidating
a series of effective policy prescriptions for Congress
and the Trump administration. The report’s seven
sections present an overview of tools available to the
government and spotlight transnational organized
crime threats that demand more attention and action
from US authorities.
• The US government has the means and legal
framework to counter transnational organized
crime. However, effectively implementing such
policy will require strong political will and the
proper allocation of resources.
• As Colombia begins implementing its peace
accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces
of Colombia (FARC), dissident guerrillas and
the country’s other organized criminal groups
threaten to undermine this major undertaking.
These dissidents’ deep ties to demobilized FARC
leaders and the cocaine trade, their international
connections, and their historical control over a
significant portion of the FARC’s financial assets
demand special attention.
• Venezuelan government officials are actively
involved in international crime and using state
resources, including military assets, to support
illicit activities such as money laundering and
drug smuggling. These officials also have collaborated with extra-regional actors such as Iran
and Hezbollah, incorporating them into their
criminal networks.
• Iran has gradually increased its official profile
and influence in Latin America in recent years.
Connections to Lebanese Shi’a expatriate communities enable Iran and its proxy Hezbollah to
operate clandestinely in the region. Hezbollah’s
you prefer a picture?
https://www.aei.org/publication/kingpins-and-corruption-targeting-transnational-organized-crime-in-the-americas/
https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/24/politics/michael-cohen-subpoenaed-senate-intelligence-committee/index.html
I lost jobs
never qualified for
unemployment
they know ways to fire people so they do not have to pay unemployment
last job they just plane lied and made me look dangerous
This process not only created an elite class of politically well-connected entrepreneurs, known as “boliburgueses,” but also placed Venezuelan resources
in the service of criminal regimes and narcotics trafficking organizations. The United States continues to
be directly affected, as billions of dollars have been
illicitly funneled into US real estate, banks, and even
Treasury bonds.