In a significant development, Brazilian federal police have arrested two individuals suspected of having ties to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The detainees were allegedly involved in a terrorist plot aimed at targeting the Jewish community in Brazil. The arrests occurred during a police operation designed to “interrupt preparations for acts of terrorism and obtain evidence about the possible recruitment of Brazilians to commit extremist acts.”
The operation unfolded on Wednesday, resulting in the apprehension of one man at Brazil’s largest international airport in Guarulhos, São Paulo. According to reports, the suspect had flown in from Lebanon, with authorities suspecting he carried information to coordinate the planned attacks. While specific targets were not disclosed, media sources suggest the group was contemplating assaults on buildings belonging to Brazil’s Jewish community, including synagogues.
Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, expressed gratitude to Brazilian security services for thwarting the alleged terrorist cell’s operation. Netanyahu’s office indicated the involvement of Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, and other foreign security agencies in the operation, characterizing it as preventing a terrorist attack planned by Hezbollah, directed and financed by Iran. The operation reportedly exposed an extensive network operating in multiple countries.
Brazil is home to Latin America’s second-largest Jewish community, with a notable 17th-century synagogue, considered the first built in the Americas. The arrested individuals are believed to have connections to Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based Islamist militia group known for its global presence, including South America.
Police executed search warrants in three regions—São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and the federal district around Brasília. The charges against the suspects include creating or belonging to a terrorist organization and carrying out preparations for acts of terrorism, carrying a potential maximum sentence of 15 and a half years in prison.
Hezbollah, founded in the aftermath of Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon, has evolved into a powerful political movement and a militant group with a global reach. The US designates Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organization, while the UK categorizes it as a proscribed international terrorist group. Past acts of terror attributed to Hezbollah include suicide attacks on US and French troops and the 1983 bombing of the US embassy in Lebanon.
This recent arrest underscores the ongoing challenge of combating terrorism globally and the critical role international collaboration plays in preventing potential threats.
