Cartel connection: Hezbollah and Iran exploit Maduro’s Venezuela for cocaine cash

Hezbollah’s shadowy alliance with Venezuela’s cartels is pumping drug money into Iran’s terror network, with U.S. officials warning the empire now threatens America’s security at home.

Efrat Lachter is an investigative reporter and war correspondent. Her work has taken her to 40 countries, including Ukraine, Russia, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, and Afghanistan. She is a recipient of the 2024 Knight-Wallace Fellowship for Journalism. Lachter can be followed on X @efratlachter.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital that "President Trump has taken numerous actions to curtail Iran’s terrorist proxies like Hezbollah, such as sanctioning senior officials and financial facilitators. The President has proven that he will hold any terrorist group accountable that threatens the national security of our country by smuggling narcotics intended to kill Americans."

Brian Townsend, a retired DEA special agent, told Fox News Digital, "This was a decisive blow against narco-terrorists," and said Hezbollah’s role is rarely visible but essential, "They don’t get their hands dirty. Instead, they launder and provide networks to help cartels send money through the Middle East. Simply, they take a cut from the drug trade, which then funds their operations in the Middle East."