Merco Press:

Argentine authorities have upped the security measures around the so-called Triple Frontier encompassing Puerto Iguazú (Argentina), Foz do Iguaçú (Brazil), and Ciudad del Este (Paraguay) out of concerns over the possible entry of Iranian agents, in addition to the suspected presence of Hezbollah “sleeper cells” in the country.

The measure followed intelligence reports about an unregistered Iranian official entering the country, particularly after former Iranian Vice President Shahram Dabiri was found to have entered the country undetected on a tourist visa in March.

Foz do Iguaçú and Ciudad del Este are known to host Hezbollah “sleeper cells,” reportedly involved in illicit financial activities. There are concerns that funds collected from merchants linked to the group are being funneled to Iran, disguised as humanitarian aid.

The Triple Frontier has historically been a permeable point for dangerous individuals, with suspicions that the perpetrators of the 1992 Israeli Embassy and 1994 Argentine Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA) bombings in Buenos Aires entered through this area. Notorious alleged Hezbollah “treasurer” Assad Ahmad Barakat also operated freely in the region before his 2018 arrest. In 2006, the US Treasury Department described Barakat as a “global terrorist,” and added him to a list of people in the Triple Frontier area who help finance Hezbollah, whose assets were frozen.

Go to link