Transcript [00:00] I mean, the best way to sucker punch the [00:03] United States is, in my opinion, is in [00:06] Latin America, where nobody would expect [00:08] it. They have the intent to to do [00:11] something to the United States. We don't [00:14] know when or where, and that's the way [00:15] they like it. [00:23] >> Good afternoon and welcome to the Middle [00:24] East Forums weekly podcast. We're living [00:27] through historic and dangerous times and [00:28] I want to thank you all for being [00:29] engaged and for your continued support [00:31] of MEF's critically important work. This [00:33] afternoon I'm very pleased to be joined [00:35] by Todd Benman who is joining us this [00:37] afternoon to discuss his recent report [00:39] time to end the long Iran ne Nicaragua [00:42] relationship and we will put a link to [00:44] that report. It's very important and [00:46] informative in the chat for anybody [00:48] interested in taking a look at that. Um [00:50] Todd is a senior research fellow for the [00:52] border security and immigration center [00:53] at the Heritage Foundation. Before [00:55] joining Heritage in July of 2026, Todd [00:58] served the Trump administration as [00:59] senior adviser to the US Department of [01:01] Homeland Security, the ICE office of of [01:04] director, and the intelligence community [01:06] as a national counterterrorism center [01:08] detaile where he serves senior [01:10] leadership on priority policy matters [01:12] related to enforcing both legal and [01:13] illegal immigration, southern border [01:16] security, and the counter cartel [01:17] campaigns. Welcome, Todd, and thank you [01:20] so much for joining us this afternoon. [01:22] >> Thank you for having me. I do appreciate [01:24] it. [01:25] >> Uh we're I'm really looking forward to [01:26] this discussion. Um so Todd, it's my [01:29] understanding that Iran operates or has [01:31] operated throughout Latin America um [01:33] through its proxy Hezbollah as well as [01:35] through members of the IRGC and the Kuds [01:37] forces. So I think it would be helpful [01:39] just to have you start by briefly [01:41] explaining to our audience the history [01:42] of these nefarious actors in the Western [01:44] Hemisphere and how and where Iran [01:47] operates in Latin America today. [01:50] >> Sure. Well, it's pretty well known, I [01:52] think, understood that the Iranians have [01:54] been in Latin America for quite some [01:57] time, at least since the late 80s and [02:00] early 90s. But they really began a [02:03] diplomatic [02:05] uh push, an initiative to ramp up their [02:08] presence throughout Central America and [02:12] South America in about 2007. [02:16] uh 2007 they really just um you know [02:19] spread across uh that region the western [02:22] hemisphere to prevent to present a kind [02:25] of a counter threat to the United States [02:28] to um evade sanctions and also uh there [02:32] was a lot of saber rattling at that time [02:34] with the Bush administration over the [02:36] nuclear weapons program. Uh Bush was [02:39] thinking about maybe bombing it back [02:41] then. Uh and this was to sort of set [02:44] something up where you know we're not [02:46] far from you either. Uh we can do things [02:48] to you uh if you do things to us. Uh and [02:52] so at last tally they were they had [02:55] about 11 uh embassies and consulate [02:59] offices down there and were present [03:02] throughout the region through about 35 [03:06] 36 Shia community organizations. Iran [03:11] linked Shia community organizations u [03:14] throughout the hemisphere. Uh so that's [03:17] kind of where we stand. Uh now we're at [03:19] war of course with uh Iran and no [03:22] telling where that's going to go. And [03:24] the Iranians have um issued very [03:27] explicit threats to retaliate against [03:30] the United States. [03:33] >> Uh okay. So, um, that's a good [03:36] transition to, uh, in your report, um, [03:39] you you refer to, uh, Nicaragua's [03:41] conservative newspaper, La Prrena, uh, [03:44] and they wrote an article entitled [03:46] Nicaragua emerges as Iran's key foothold [03:49] in the Western Hemisphere. So, what is [03:50] the current relationship between the [03:52] Islamic Republic and Nicaragua's pre uh, [03:54] President Daniel Ortega's communist [03:56] government, which um, did establish [03:58] diplomatic relations and opened [04:00] embassies in 2007. I also note that in [04:03] your report you referred to [04:05] Clandiststein uh discussions prior to [04:08] the US Iran war between the Islamic [04:10] Republic and Nicaragua about [04:11] establishing bilateral military [04:13] cooperation. So I'm also wondering if [04:14] those are continuing and how extensive [04:16] they might be. [04:18] >> Well, I really just isolate Nicaragua uh [04:22] for a reason, for a good reason. I'm [04:23] just coming out of the intelligence [04:25] community. Uh, and I came out believing [04:28] that we have overlooked the Nicaragua [04:32] Iran relationship in comparison to the [04:36] uh, Iranian relationship with pretty [04:38] much all the other countries down there. [04:41] Uh, and so I call it a blind spot. I [04:44] believe that we are as a country at war [04:47] with Iran with an active uh threat [04:50] against the United States for killing [04:52] the Ayatollah and everything else. Uh [04:55] that we have uh really just for some [04:58] reason uh allowed the Nicaragua [05:02] relationship with Iran to go. It's it's [05:05] a uh strong active bilateral [05:10] relationship between the two. It's been [05:12] that way since Daniel Ortega uh took [05:16] office in 2007. He's an anti-American so [05:19] self-described uh socialist uh communist [05:24] uh who is you know in line with the [05:27] Iranians attitude toward the United [05:30] States as well. Uh death to America uh [05:34] the Ortega regime is down with that. the [05:38] relationship [05:40] uh really takes various forms. But but [05:44] uh people in the community, the security [05:47] community, maybe the intelligence [05:48] establishment believe that the main [05:51] purpose of that relationship is to have [05:54] clandestine [05:56] activities, espionage operations, [05:59] uh uh the ability to strike at regional [06:04] targets from Nicaragua, uh like the [06:07] Iranian, uh Hezbollah and the IRGC and [06:12] Kuds. force have done uh in Argentina [06:16] and uh attempted to do in lots of other [06:18] places um since the early 90s. Um there [06:23] are uh very active uh military [06:27] uh collaborations where uh young men are [06:32] able to fly back and forth on diplomatic [06:35] aircraft [06:36] uh working with the Nicaraguan military. [06:40] Uh there are reports and leaks from the [06:43] intelligence community, Wikileaks and uh [06:45] the New York Times a few years ago had [06:48] um some reporting about uh creating a [06:52] kind of a a drone uh warfare capability [06:56] from Nicaragua. We don't know the [06:59] veracity of this reporting um not in the [07:02] public realm uh but that but that there [07:05] is you know a lot of reporting about [07:09] Hezbollah camps in that country uh with [07:13] intent to strike Israeli Jewish targets [07:17] in the region. Uh there are reports [07:19] about [07:21] about um people coming in from the IRGC [07:25] who are wanted on international warrants [07:29] uh for murder and terrorism being [07:31] protected by the Iranians on their [07:33] territory. This is just a few borders [07:35] from uh my home state of Texas here. Uh [07:39] and so my argument is uh while we're [07:43] going after Cuba [07:46] uh we took Maduro out in Venezuela and [07:49] there are uh there is a lot of uh [07:52] pressure on [07:54] Iran and its proxies in Latin America to [07:57] roll them back everywhere pretty much [08:00] everywhere. US pressure uh military [08:03] diplomatic and localized pressure to get [08:06] get them out of the hemisphere. rolling [08:08] back under the Don Row uh doctrine as [08:13] they say. Uh but I'm not seeing much [08:15] evidence of that happening at all in [08:18] this one country. [08:21] >> Yeah, it's really frightening. I mean, [08:22] you refer to Nicaragua as the US [08:24] national security blind spot. So, it is [08:26] amazing that the especially since the [08:28] war was launched that we're not focused [08:30] on it more. Um, but I want to talk about [08:32] one of the neighbors. Um, because during [08:34] the general assembly of the Organization [08:36] of American States in in Panama this [08:39] summer, Costa Rica's foreign minister [08:40] raised concerns about the presence of [08:42] Hezbollah and Hamas in Nicaragua and and [08:44] stated Costa Rica observes with enormous [08:47] concern the persistent and growing [08:49] presence of Nicaragua in Nicaragua, of [08:51] Russian military forces and terrorist [08:53] organizations such as Hamas and [08:55] Hezbollah and called it a threat to [08:58] regional security and stability in [08:59] Central America. So, shouldn't this [09:01] raise alarm bells for the US and [09:03] shouldn't we be working with our allies [09:04] in the region to address this concern? [09:06] And especially now that it seems that we [09:08] have a number of allies um as the many [09:12] Latin American governments have moved to [09:14] conservative uh governments. [09:18] >> Absolutely. And I think that part of the [09:20] problem is that those bad actors that [09:23] you just named, even the Russians, the [09:25] Chinese, uh, but key to everything right [09:29] now is the Iranians since we are in an [09:32] active hot war with the Iranians. uh is [09:37] that th those actors are all in [09:40] Nicaragua just like they are in Cuba and [09:44] like they were in Bolivia and Peru and [09:49] uh Argentina and everywhere else uh the [09:52] triorder region, but that for some [09:55] reason uh they're just not much on the [09:58] radar so much. And the Costa Ricans [10:00] would be sensitive uh for a lot of [10:03] reasons to Hezbollah being in the [10:06] country right now. Uh namely because uh [10:10] there are a lot of US interests there, [10:12] business interests, not to mention [10:14] 12,000 American expatriots who live [10:17] there full-time or part-time, have [10:19] property. Uh all of the giant tech [10:24] indust, you know, companies have [10:26] franchises in Costa Rica. you know, the [10:28] Walgreens is there, the Hilton Marriott, [10:31] a lot of western uh uh infrastructure [10:34] and business interests there in Costa [10:37] Rica. So, and relations are not that [10:40] great between the c two countries [10:41] anyway. Um so, yes, uh if anybody would [10:46] know uh the problem and be sensitive to [10:49] it, it would be Costa Rica. But the [10:51] Costa Ricans are not the only ones that [10:53] are raising the alarm. There are uh [10:55] local opposition uh you know newspapers [10:59] and security analysts that are noting [11:01] that uh Nicaragua has become kind of a [11:05] last sort of un surveiled or under [11:08] surveiled uh territory for the Iranians [11:12] in the hemisphere pretty much everywhere [11:14] else they're at least under pressure [11:17] under surveillance [11:19] uh are being chased out and around and [11:21] have to go underground and all the rest [11:23] But uh that's why I call that a blind [11:26] spot. [11:28] >> Yeah. Yeah. Um you know in your report [11:31] you list Hezbollah IRGC Iranian attacks [11:34] from 1992 through 2025 [11:37] through across Latin America. So I'm [11:40] wondering if you can touch on um current [11:43] targets. You did mention businesses in [11:45] Costa Rica and whatnot, but and and of [11:48] course there's 1.6 6 million expats, I [11:50] understand, living in Mexico and Central [11:52] America. So, what are what exactly are [11:55] the targets for these threats? Are they [11:57] limited to just neighboring countries of [11:59] Nicaragua or does it extend beyond [12:02] Central America into South America as [12:04] well? [12:05] >> Right. I make the the the observation in [12:09] my paper that uh the United States [12:12] itself, the homeland, is a bit of a hard [12:15] target. Uh I'm not really arguing that [12:18] they're going to try to sneak over the [12:19] border, especially not this particular [12:21] border under Trump, which is under [12:23] pretty tight control. Uh but that they [12:26] would they would rather uh if they were [12:29] going to really draw blood and make it [12:32] hurt uh take aim at US citizens abroad [12:39] and or business infrastructure like some [12:42] of the companies that I just mentioned. [12:44] Uh there are uh a million and a half [12:46] American expatriots down there who [12:49] probably are just completely not [12:50] thinking about this uh that are [12:53] supposedly protected by local [12:56] governments uh that probably also are [12:58] not that equipped to uh think about [13:01] this. I mean the best way to sucker [13:04] punch the United States is in my opinion [13:07] is in Latin America where nobody would [13:09] expect it. Um, and I'm coming from a [13:12] security background, so I tend to think [13:14] in advance a little bit like this [13:16] anyway. What might they be thinking? [13:18] What could they uh do? Do they have the [13:21] capability? And the Iranians, the [13:24] Hezbollah uh operatives that are there, [13:27] IRGC, [13:28] most assuredly have the capability to do [13:32] it. They have the intent to to do [13:36] something to the United States. uh we [13:38] don't know when or where and that's the [13:40] way they like it. uh and and so why not [13:43] just [13:45] uh remove reduce the the risk by just [13:49] putting the pressure that you're putting [13:51] on everywhere else in Latin America on [13:54] this one country uh also so that uh it's [13:58] it doesn't become kind of an island uh [14:01] with the ability to uh lash out not just [14:05] in Central America but in in South [14:07] America. remember the Amy bombing in '92 [14:11] and the the embassy, Israeli embassy [14:14] bombing in '94. I may have those [14:15] switched around, but those were carried [14:18] out by Hezbollah operatives from the [14:22] tribal region very far away. Uh Uruguay, [14:26] Brazil, [14:28] and um uh Argentina that that sort of uh [14:33] they call it the tri border area. And [14:35] there was also another attack uh on a [14:37] Panameanian uh commuter aircraft uh [14:41] suicide bombing the day after that [14:42] nobody ever talks about. They just [14:44] busted that guy in Venezuela uh and [14:49] brought him to Panama to stand trial. So [14:52] they can move around. They have the [14:54] ability to travel. Uh they're not going [14:56] to just do it in Nicaragua necessarily. [14:59] Uh and and they're probably not going to [15:02] do it in the United States. But one last [15:04] thing is uh just last year the Mexicans [15:09] broke up a plot to assassinate the [15:12] Israeli ambassador in Mexico City and [15:16] apparently the plotters according to the [15:18] reporting uh came out of Venezuela. [15:23] >> Amazing. [15:24] Um and you don't read about this in in [15:26] the press too often so it's makes it [15:28] even [15:30] >> Yeah, it's amazing. Um, so you make an [15:33] important point about the difference [15:35] between the pre and post US Iran war and [15:37] you stated, I'm going to quote you here, [15:39] US intelligence and security community [15:41] beliefs about Iranian activity in [15:43] Nicaragua before the US bombing [15:45] campaigns are no longer applicable. The [15:47] intelligence community should presume [15:49] that Iran would increase its clandistine [15:51] activity and overlooked comparatively [15:53] underserveyed Nicaragua given Iran's [15:55] retaliation policy and the tougher [15:57] operating environment elsewhere in Latin [15:59] America. you laid out in in your report [16:02] steps that you believe the US should be [16:04] taking to amilarate the risks of an [16:06] Iranian attack on US citizens and [16:08] interest in Latin America. So, can you [16:10] share those those thoughts and ideas um [16:12] and measures that you believe the [16:14] administration should be taking? [16:16] >> Sure. Well, to start with, you have to [16:19] sort of understand that what we're doing [16:23] in other countries where we know that [16:26] the Iranians and Hezbollah IRGC have [16:28] been operating for years and years, they [16:30] were left-wing leftist governments that [16:33] were, you know, anti-American and they [16:35] took advantage of that. Places like [16:37] Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, we already saw [16:41] what happened in Venezuela with Maduro. [16:44] Uh and and we have evidence that uh a [16:49] conservative wave of new presidents in [16:53] these countries have securitized those [16:57] countries against Hezbollah and Iran. [17:00] They're kicking them out. They're [17:02] chasing them down. Uh they're declaring [17:05] them to be terrorist organizations. [17:08] Uh we are uh we've we've blanketed Cuba [17:13] with spy flights uh because of the [17:16] Iranians and we're demanding that the [17:18] Cubans the regime there boot them all [17:21] out and we put diplomatic military and [17:25] surveillance pressure on all of these [17:27] countries where you know we have this uh [17:30] presence and so in the Nicaragua case I [17:35] argue that you know because it's it's um [17:38] an active uh anti-American regime, but [17:41] it has a lot of economic ties to the [17:44] United States. For example, uh all of [17:47] their remittance money uh which funds a [17:50] lot of cash, gives them a lot of cash to [17:52] keep the inner circle of the Ortega [17:54] regime going, uh comes from the United [17:57] States. About 85% [17:59] of it comes from the United States, [18:01] billions of dollars a year. [18:03] uh the United States could intervene in [18:06] that flow like the United States has [18:08] intervened in that same flow to Cuba [18:12] over the same issue. Uh the Nicaraguans [18:17] rely almost entirely on US fuel [18:21] petroleum products uh to keep their [18:25] economy going, to keep the buses running [18:26] and the electric, you know, the lights [18:29] on. Um the United States could do [18:32] something about that, could threaten to [18:34] intervene in that flow. Uh to could tax [18:37] it. Uh the there are there is a [18:41] huge amount of Nicaraguan dependence on [18:45] exports to the United States, [18:47] agricultural products. [18:50] Be a shame if something bad were to [18:52] happen to that sort of a thing, you [18:54] know. So, the US actually has a lot of [18:57] leverage that they could bring to bear [18:59] to tell the regime, you're going to have [19:02] to cut your ties. You're going to have [19:04] to get a divorce from the Iranians that [19:07] is over. Uh, and we want you to chase [19:10] them out, too. And if you don't on maybe [19:13] a set of uh benchmark timelines, uh, [19:16] then, you know, we'll ratchet things up. [19:19] And um also need to let them know that [19:22] you're going to be under a tremendous [19:24] amount of surveillance as well. All of [19:27] you will be under surveillance until [19:28] this happens. And lastly, the [19:33] you know the US has designated the IRGC [19:37] coups Hezbollah as a foreign as foreign [19:40] terrorist organizations. There are [19:42] consequences for that. If as a regime [19:45] official you were doing anything to aid [19:49] and support [19:51] FTO individuals and organizations, [19:54] uh the United States should investigate [19:57] and issue uh indictments for material [20:01] support against highranking officials. [20:04] Uh we indicted Maduro for example for [20:08] drug and corruption on drug and [20:10] corruption charges and there was a DEA [20:12] agent along for that raid to make the [20:15] official arrest on those indictments and [20:18] I think that has a tremendous amount of [20:22] um you know people people took note of [20:25] that sort of thing. Uh so I think that [20:28] it wouldn't be difficult at all to there [20:31] are a lot of lever uh points to put [20:34] against Nicaragua. [20:36] Uh thanks. Those are all really [20:38] important points. I'm wondering Todd, do [20:40] you think that the US played a role in [20:41] getting Argentina to designate the IRGC [20:44] as a terrorist organization? uh [20:46] Colombia, Honduras, Paraguay, Chile, [20:50] Ecuador, El Salvador, Peru, and Uruguay [20:54] basically followed suit from what I [20:55] understand. Uh did did did the US put [20:58] any pressure on them? [21:00] >> We know that the United States, the [21:02] State Department is putting that [21:04] pressure on all of those governments [21:07] right now. Uh so yes, I do believe that [21:10] that's that's the case. I I don't have [21:12] an inside uh view of it, but I do [21:15] believe it's an an expectation that's [21:18] been set out by this uh Trump [21:20] administration since the war broke out. [21:22] Uh even the first uh round in in June of [21:26] 2025 when US and Israeli forces bombed [21:29] the uh nuclear facilities, but [21:32] especially since February. Uh remember [21:35] the Iranians have sworn a blood oath to [21:39] take vengeance against the United States [21:41] no matter how long it takes. So it's [21:44] very prudent for the United States to [21:46] put this kind of pressure on, you know, [21:49] areas, territories where they're active, [21:52] where they have a presence, and we know [21:54] they have a presence. [21:57] Um, so, so Todd, Venezuelan, the the [22:00] interim president, Delia Rodriguez, [22:02] she's refused to honor the US's request [22:05] to sever her country's extensive [22:06] financial, intelligence, military, and [22:08] trading ties with Iran. What do you know [22:10] what the status of that Venezuelan [22:12] support of Iran um is and the US's [22:16] attempts to intervene in that alliance [22:17] more importantly? [22:19] Well, probably Venezuela was probably [22:22] the, you know, the central hub of [22:25] Iranian [22:26] uh mischief making and presence. uh for [22:30] years they were openly uh you know [22:33] working down there with the regimes [22:36] first the Chavez regime and then the [22:38] Maduro regime uh making mischief in a [22:41] lot of areas and that was like the [22:44] primary [22:45] US focus uh for the intelligence [22:47] community to and in Israeli intelligence [22:50] to I'm sure uh to try to do suppression [22:53] but you had Maduro there so uh with [22:56] Maduro gone uh I I think Deli Rodriguez [23:00] is obliged a little bit to put on errors [23:04] about uh we're not going to uh you know [23:07] we have our own sovereignty. Uh we can [23:10] have relations with whoever we want. But [23:12] the reality is that uh they're they're [23:16] pretty much you know complying with uh [23:20] Trump administration edicts and demands [23:23] on pretty much everything. Uh, and what [23:25] you've seen is I'm gonna say that I [23:28] doubt that they have vacated the [23:30] premises, but they have definitely gone [23:33] quiet. They've gone underground. The [23:37] permissive environment of before is no [23:41] longer because we have a flotilla out [23:43] there with a lot of uh people on the [23:46] ground as well, you know, wink wink. uh [23:49] and a lot of uh pressure on the reg on [23:51] the uh on the Rodriguez regime to rein [23:56] that in. So I think it's a lot of lip [23:59] service that she's giving about [24:01] sovereignty. Uh you know we have our own [24:04] you know we're our own person [24:07] but but I don't see anybody making any [24:10] noise at all the in the from the Iranian [24:14] uh presence there and I don't see [24:16] anybody talking about it much anymore at [24:18] all. I think they've gone underground if [24:20] they're still there or they've left. [24:23] >> And uh should we be concerned about [24:25] Brazil as well? There was just an [24:27] election there and while it looked like [24:28] Balsson was going to pull it out, the [24:31] socialist uh Lula Dilva won. Um what's [24:36] the cooperation like between the US and [24:38] Brazil on these issues pertaining to [24:39] Iran? [24:41] >> Right. That's a good question. Uh [24:43] because you know Brazil that's a leftist [24:45] regime. Uh there there have been [24:48] Hezbollah operatives operating in [24:51] Brazil, you know, the trib [24:54] uh most notably, but elsewhere as well. [24:57] Uh but the Brazilians really don't want [25:00] to uh buck the Americans about about [25:05] that kind of activities. Uh it bring [25:08] it's bad for business. Let's just say [25:09] it's bad for for business under Donald [25:12] Trump. Uh, and there have been a number [25:14] of plots that the Brazilian authorities [25:17] under Lula have broken up and they've [25:20] made arrests of Hezbollah agents. Uh, [25:24] and they they have um uh helped the [25:27] United States kind of clear out the tri [25:30] borders area a little bit or at least [25:32] put it under under pressure, [25:34] surveillance and law enforcement [25:36] pressure. Uh, so say what you will about [25:38] the uh Lula uh administration. Uh but [25:42] the US uh annual state department [25:46] reports about on counterterrorism [25:48] give Brazil under Lula pretty high marks [25:52] for counterterrorism. So I'm a little [25:54] bit less worried about Brazil than I am [25:58] uh other other countries uh that have [26:01] had presences and activity down there. [26:04] >> Interesting. Okay, I want to make sure [26:06] that we get to the audience questions. [26:08] Um, and someone is asking both, what is [26:12] the practical ability of Nicaragua to [26:14] project power outside of its borders and [26:16] is its military more powerful than a [26:18] police force? [26:20] >> Yeah. Well, the Nicar I've been to [26:22] Nicaragua a couple of times. In fact, in [26:25] 2007, I went down there as a reporter to [26:28] uh interview the Iranians when they [26:30] first arrived and the Nicaraguan [26:33] government. And I've actually been on [26:34] the ground there outside their embassy. [26:36] It's been a while, but they're still [26:38] there. Um, the Nicaraguan military is uh [26:43] terribly corrupt. Uh, it's weak and it's [26:46] entirely focused on regime preservation. [26:50] Uh, I don't think that the Nicaraguan [26:52] military is that interested in [26:54] projecting outside of its boundaries so [26:56] much as regime preservation. Uh but that [27:00] doesn't mean that the Iranian [27:04] clandestine forces aren't would not be [27:07] able to project from that territory uh [27:11] because it's somewhat uh protected by [27:14] the Ortega regime uh from uh I mean [27:19] especially now it's a very it's become [27:21] very despotic dictatorial [27:24] taking you know oppos jailing opposition [27:27] figures and paying close attention to [27:29] who comes and goes in and out of the [27:32] country. So, I think that it's a pretty [27:34] protective environment for Iranian [27:37] clandestine activity still. [27:41] >> Thank you, Todd. Um, so someone and this [27:43] actually crossed my mind as you were [27:45] talking about the you didn't really uh [27:47] believe that that we had to be concerned [27:51] domestically about the US homeront right [27:53] now. And someone is asking given the [27:56] four years of the Biden administration [27:58] where the border was wide open and Todd [28:00] I know you covered it extensively. You [28:02] were down there a lot during that time. [28:04] Um that that the you know isn't it [28:07] possible given again the flights into [28:08] Nicaragua and other areas in Latin [28:11] America that the Iranians [28:13] you know snuck people over the border [28:15] and that there are cells that are just [28:17] waiting to launch attacks now in the [28:19] homeland? No, that's a great question [28:21] and I I don't mean to dismiss uh the [28:25] threat to the homeland. Uh I just think [28:28] that maybe it might not come from [28:31] Nicaragua uh directly now. But what is a [28:36] problem is unit 910 which is a Hezbollah [28:41] clandestine wing uh for foreign [28:44] operations. Uh there have been in the [28:47] last 10 years [28:49] uh federal prosecutions. We've caught [28:52] them. Uh these are sleeper agents. Uh [28:55] they've been caught in uh Michigan and [28:58] New York. Others have been caught in Los [29:01] Angeles and Washington. They are here [29:04] and they are trained to conduct attacks [29:07] on the homeland from the from the [29:09] interior. These are mostly US citizens, [29:12] Lebanese who have naturalized. Uh and [29:16] then once they naturalize, they uh you [29:18] know maintain their ties with the [29:20] organiz the mother ship I guess back in [29:24] Lebanon. Uh they go back and forth for [29:27] training. They typically build uh [29:30] arsenals here and target lists. uh and [29:34] sometimes that they're sent abroad to do [29:35] different missions uh using their [29:37] American passport and citizenship. Then [29:40] I don't mean to uh suggest that they are [29:43] not a threat. Uh the ones that have not [29:46] been caught. Uh we also did see I've met [29:49] Iranians coming uh over the border. I've [29:53] interviewed them. I've met quite a few [29:54] of them actually. Uh I don't know who [29:56] they are. Uh their stories. I never knew [29:59] who they were. I've written about the [30:01] Iranians that I've met. uh that are [30:04] presumably inside the United States now. [30:07] What they're all about. Lots of Lebanese [30:09] have come across. Uh we've caught [30:11] Hezbollah terrorists crossing in from [30:13] Tijana. We broke up a ring a few years [30:16] back that was specialized in that. Uh [30:20] lots and lots of Nicaraguans have [30:22] crossed uh tens of thousands of [30:24] Nicaraguans have crossed into the United [30:26] States. So, I do think that that is a [30:29] separate it's it is definitely a a [30:32] threat, but it's a kind of a separate [30:34] thing from what I'm talking about with [30:36] Nicaragua. [30:37] >> Yeah. Yeah. I I do want to note that a [30:39] number of these questions um have come [30:41] from somebody and I just want to share [30:43] his name is Alfredo Gutierrez and he's a [30:46] former Nicaraguan congressman in the [30:48] Nicaraguan Assembly and former candidate [30:50] to mayor of the city of Managua and he's [30:52] currently exiled in the United States. [30:54] So we thank you Alfredo for listening [30:56] and for offering these questions to [30:58] Todd. Um [31:01] so um a a couple people have also Todd [31:04] asked about Iranian proxy groups [31:07] including Hezbollah that have training [31:08] camps actually in Nicaraguan territory. [31:11] Um can those can we do anything about [31:14] those? And um maybe just somebody else [31:18] expand asked if you can expand on [31:19] Hezbollah's presence in Nicaragua what [31:21] that looks like with military ties to [31:23] Iran. and the drone program and whatnot. [31:26] >> Right. Well, first of all, I'll just say [31:28] that that what what is that the Iranian [31:31] activities in Nicaragua are very opaque. [31:35] Uh nobody really knows in the public [31:38] realm anyway what's happening there. And [31:40] I don't I I don't believe that the US [31:43] intelligence community uh knows really [31:46] what's going on there either. My um [31:50] sense from having served in the National [31:53] Counterterrorism Center is that thinking [31:57] about the threat in Nicaragua [32:00] is still in a pre2025 mode. Uh that they [32:05] have not updated their vision since we [32:09] started waring with the Iranians. So uh [32:12] we we don't have a lot of eyes and ears [32:15] I don't believe on the ground. I'm not [32:16] saying I know that just for the for the [32:19] record. Um but one of the there one of [32:23] the public source reports is that for [32:28] example there was a Hezbollah training [32:31] camp for 30 fighters in Nicaragua for a [32:36] time just a few years ago. Uh that was [32:38] heavily disputed. The Nicaraguans said [32:41] that's not true. I never saw any [32:43] evidence about it but it was there. And [32:45] uh so there's a lot of that kind of [32:47] shadowy, you know, reports that surface [32:50] that everybody denies, but we don't [32:52] really they're not completely we don't [32:54] know. Uh and and I'm also wouldn't say [32:58] that I know for sure that we're not [33:00] doing clandestine things down there [33:02] either. Maybe maybe it started up. I [33:05] hope that it did start up and that we [33:08] are reassessing that piece of territory [33:11] down there. [33:13] Do you think it's possible that Israel [33:14] does? [33:16] >> Oh, they have a presence in Latin [33:18] America. [33:19] >> I would expect that they would be all [33:21] over the place down there. There are a [33:23] lot of Israeli [33:25] uh business interests in the area. uh [33:27] there's they're involved in uh you know [33:30] there there there are um you know [33:32] citizen Israeli citizens that that live [33:35] in the region and uh lots of business [33:37] activity uh throughout South America and [33:41] and Latin America in general Mexico etc. [33:44] So, uh, most of the targets, if you look [33:47] at the paper, I've got a list of, [33:50] uh, plots that were either disrupted or [33:53] successful, and most of them were [33:56] targeting Jews of Latin America, whether [33:59] they were Israeli citizens or not. They [34:02] were, it was the Jewish community. [34:04] There's a very significant Jewish [34:06] community in Mexico, uh, Costa Rica, uh, [34:10] really all all over. And um I would [34:13] imagine that the Israelis are monitoring [34:16] all of that. They should be. [34:19] >> And the gentleman that I mentioned a few [34:21] minutes ago asked he said that the [34:22] Democratic opposition leaders had sent a [34:24] letter with a request to Attorney [34:26] General Todd Blanch asking him to indict [34:28] Ortega and his wife um and their [34:31] descendants. What would do you believe [34:33] that there's possibilities that the AG [34:35] would get working on this type of [34:37] petition? [34:38] I think there's a good possibility that [34:41] that particular AG would do that. Uh it [34:45] depends on what you're asking for. I [34:46] mean, I'm asking that they investigate [34:49] and indict for material support for [34:52] terrorism for having anything to do with [34:54] the Iranian regime and the IRGC. [34:58] Um the the the the truth is that uh we [35:05] have the the the legal leverage to do [35:08] that. We c we can do that. But the the [35:12] Biden State Department, even the first [35:14] Trump State Department and the current [35:16] Trump State Department seem mostly [35:18] interested in the uh cor the despatism, [35:23] the rise of the regime's, you know, [35:26] dictatorial [35:28] uh predations on the population, [35:30] arresting journalists, [35:33] uh you know, getting rid of elections, [35:36] you know, fixing elections and m just [35:38] hanging on to power, but I think that if [35:41] there are indictments, it should not be [35:43] for that or drug smuggling or anything. [35:46] It should be for this. [35:49] Um, thank you, Todd. And the the final [35:52] question that I'm going to ask, uh, [35:53] somebody had said that based on Trump [35:56] yesterday stating that his immigration [35:58] program was too tough, they're wondering [36:00] what your thoughts on whether it was too [36:02] tough based on your experience in in the [36:04] administration. I'm just going to [36:06] clarify, Todd, that we're not asking you [36:08] to give your opinion on, you know, ICE [36:11] maneuvers in the states, but overall the [36:13] admin the Trump administration's policy [36:16] visav immigration, [36:19] >> right? Well, here's the thing. the the [36:21] the current laws that were passed by [36:24] Congress, most recently in 1996 under [36:27] the Democrats require [36:31] that we arrest and deport or put into [36:33] removal proceedings anybody who came in [36:36] illegally. So, um the in my opinion, the [36:40] day you start making uh cutouts, [36:43] exceptions to the rule, etc., is the day [36:45] that you start to really undermine [36:48] democracy. I mean that's that's the you [36:51] know the very stuff of democracy. You [36:54] just change the law if you don't like [36:56] the law. But don't just decide to um you [37:00] know start rewarding and you know ex [37:03] excluding and accepting people that [37:05] snuck in over the border illegally or [37:08] overstate visas and all the rest of [37:09] that. Um to the point that I hear a lot [37:13] of uh Democrats make that and now you [37:16] know more and more Republicans that you [37:19] know just just get the criminals out [37:21] just remove the criminals. Well those [37:23] are the prosecuted fully prosecuted [37:25] ones. In any given population you might [37:28] have three or 5% that have been you know [37:31] criminally convicted of something. But [37:34] if you go that route, what you're [37:36] essentially saying is that 95% of [37:39] everybody who snuck in over the border [37:41] gets to stay. And that I don't think is [37:45] what the Congress intended. Nothing like [37:48] that. 95% who sneak in and manage to get [37:51] here and not get in any kind of trouble [37:53] get to stay. Uh that is something that [37:56] would just invite the entire world to [37:58] rush the border immediately. [38:01] uh if they knew that all they got to do [38:02] is sneak past them and they get to stay [38:04] forever every 95% chance. Uh so I think [38:08] that's just an an untenable policy. [38:11] >> Yeah. Yeah. Well, thank you so much for [38:13] that, Todd. Thank you so much for your [38:15] important work. I know you've been at [38:17] this a very long time. Uh and and we [38:20] appreciate what you do. It's very [38:21] important for our national security and [38:22] I do hope you have success with the [38:24] administration and bringing that this to [38:26] their attention. So, thank you to to you [38:29] to everybody for listening this [38:30] afternoon. Wish everybody a wonderful [38:32] afternoon. Thank you. Thanks. [38:34] >> Thank you.
