No Hezbollah In Our Hemisphere Act

The "No Hezbollah In Our Hemisphere Act" addresses the growing presence and activities of Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy, in Latin America. Congress finds that Hezbollah's networks are expanding with impunity, engaging in criminal activities like money laundering and sophisticated smuggling operations, often with support from authoritarian regimes in the region. A significant concern highlighted is that most Latin American countries have not designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, which limits local authorities' ability to monitor or prosecute its operatives effectively. The bill expresses a Sense of Congress that the Secretary of State should pursue aggressive efforts against Iranian proxy networks in the Western Hemisphere. This includes demanding an end to impunity for designated individuals and entities, working with international forums like the Financial Action Task Force to "greylist" government entities that cooperate with Hezbollah, and engaging Latin American governments to strengthen their legislative tools against terrorism financing. A key diplomatic objective is to persuade allies in Latin America to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, using Argentina's model as a blueprint. A core provision requires the Secretary of State, in coordination with other federal agencies, to conduct an assessment within 180 days to determine if any country, region, or jurisdiction in Latin America meets the definition of a "terrorist sanctuary." This assessment will consider the extent to which Hezbollah or other foreign terrorist organizations operate freely, raise funds, recruit, or obtain safe haven, and whether the host government has knowingly tolerated or failed to address these activities. Based on these determinations, the President may impose sanctions, including the revocation of visas and inadmissibility to the United States, for foreign government officials from designated terrorist sanctuaries. The Act includes provisions for waivers of these sanctions, allowing the President to grant exceptions for national security interests or to comply with international obligations, with required reporting to congressional committees. Sanctions can also be terminated if the individual ceases the sanctioned activity or if it is in the U.S. national security interest. All sanctions imposed under this Act are set to terminate five years after its enactment, providing a defined period for these measures.