MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina discloses identity of alleged Hezbollah Chief in South America

“Hussein Ahmad Karaki oversaw the logistics of the two bombings against Argentina,” Bullrich said during a press conference

Argentina's Security Minister Patricia Bullrich Friday released a picture and data of the alleged Hezbollah leader in South America, who she also claimed was involved in the bombings in Buenos Aires of the Israeli Embassy in 1992 and the Argentine Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA) in 1994. The suspect was identified as Hussein Ahmad Karaki and was said to be currently in Lebanon.

 “He is the head of Hezbollah in Latin America,” Bullrich stressed. “Hussein Ahmad Karaki oversaw the logistics of the two bombings against Argentina: the Israeli Embassy bombing in March 1992 and the AMIA bombing on July 18, 1994. During that period he traveled through Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay,” Bullrich also pointed out.

Karaki reportedly recruited many Hezbollah operatives and planned several terrorist actions. He was said to be in the Argentine capital on March 17, 1992, and left the country on a Colombian passport hours before the diplomatic mission went off.

According to Bullrich, Karaki is still active and was involved in frustrated attacks in Peru, Bolivia and Brazil in recent years. The minister also explained that the suspect was directly responsible for the purchase of the vehicle used as a bomb for the attack against the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires.

Argentina's Executive also passed on this information to the Prosecutor's AMIA Unit and to Federal Judge Daniel Rafecas, it was also explained. Bullrich also pointed out that the picture released Friday was taken in 2004, when Venezuela's Bolivarian regime granted him documents under the name of David Assi, who was allegedly born on 2/6/1968. Argentine authorities also said that Karaki has apparently gone around by the names of Alberto Leon Nain and Elías Ribeiro Da Luz.

Bullrich also announced that an Interpol red alert was to be issued against Karaki, who “acted under direct orders from Hassan Nasralah, without intermediaries.” Nasralah was Hezbollah's Number One until earlier this month when he was taken down by Israeli forces.

“It is a very strong blow to show his face and say where he is,” Bullrich noted during a press conference alongside State Intelligence Secretary Sergio Neiffert.

In January 1992, Karaki reportedly recruited a terrorist named Hussein Suleimanm in Sao Paulo to smuggle 5 kg of explosives into Argentina, which were later used in the attacks. While in Argentina, he pretended to be a Colombian citizen, under the name of Alberto León Nain.

In February 1992 ”he was the one who bought the bus bomb, under the name of Elías Ribeiro da Luz (Brazilian ID number 34.031.567).“ And on March 17, he boarded a flight at Jorge Newbery Airport for the city of Foz do Iguazú, in Brazil. After the attacks in Argentina, Karaki ”disappeared from the radar and was not detected by western intelligence,” said Bullrich, who added that he never stopped working.

Years later he reactivated his networks to stage new terrorist acts in Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Brazil and in the Triple Border area, although all of them ended up frustrated, Bullrich claimed.