No Hezbollah In Our Hemisphere Act

The "No Hezbollah In Our Hemisphere Act" seeks to combat the growing influence and terrorist activities of Hezbollah and other Iranian proxy networks in Latin America. Congress finds that Hezbollah operates with impunity in the region, often supported by authoritarian regimes, and is not widely designated as a terrorist organization by Latin American countries. This lack of designation limits local authorities' ability to monitor and prosecute Hezbollah's activities, which include infiltrating criminal networks, money laundering, and sophisticated smuggling operations. The bill expresses the Sense of Congress that the Secretary of State should pursue aggressive efforts against these networks, including demanding an end to impunity, engaging with international bodies like the Financial Action Task Force, and persuading Latin American allies to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. Furthermore, it mandates the Secretary of State to assess within 180 days whether any Latin American country, region, or jurisdiction meets the definition of a "terrorist sanctuary." If a jurisdiction is designated, the President is authorized to impose visa sanctions , including inadmissibility and revocation of existing visas, on foreign government officials from that area. These visa sanctions can be waived by the President for national security interests or terminated if conditions are met, such as the individual ceasing the sanctioned activity or the jurisdiction no longer being a sanctuary. Exceptions also exist for important law enforcement objectives or to comply with international obligations like the UN Headquarters Agreement. All sanctions imposed under this Act are set to terminate five years after its enactment.