More on Hezbollah's New Cuban Base

Here's an English translation of the original source story in Italy's Corriere della Sera:

Hezbollah Heads to Cuba

There are three men, one of them uses a peculiar nickname: Agave Tequilana. They belong to a division of Hezbollah, the Lebanese pro-Iranian movement, in charge of "external" operations. The three men recently moved from Mexico to Cuba with the objective of setting up an operations center on the island.

Within a few days, another 23 guerrilla fighters chosen by Talal Hamia, a high-ranking Hezbollah official in charge of clandestine operations, will join them. The move by the three men is not temporary. With the approval of Secretary Nasrallah, Hamia has decided to open a "base" in Cuba with a generous budget of more than $1.5 million, which will be called "The Caribbean Case."

The base in Cuba should not come as a surprise. For years now, Hezbollah has been operating on a regular basis in Latin America with the help of Iran. The organization has strongholds in Ciudad del Este (Paraguay) and Brazil, but the extremist organization has also set up operations on many border cities and in Venezuela. They are able to raise funds, travel freely and have lists of cell groups they can mobilize to strike an adversary whenever necessary. With assistance from Iran, Hezbollah has struck Argentina twice: the Israeli embassy, and the headquarters of a Hebrew association.

The Cuban operation will initially provide logistical support. Hezbollah members will be able to develop new contacts, obtain and produce travel documents for various South American countries, recruit informants, and develop relationships with smugglers that move merchandise and are involved in human trafficking.

Translation by Alberto de la Cruz.