The United States’ Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced that an international sting operation has cracked a money laundering operation spearheaded by Hezbollah.

The Shi’ite terror organization was caught laundering millions of dollars for drug cartels operating out of Central America and using the profits to finance their activities in Syria and Lebanon. During the raid four Hezbollah operatives were arrested. 

The Acting Deputy Administrator of the DEA Jack Riley said in a press release that the operation was part of the DEA’s Project Cassandra which centered around a global Hezbollah network that was responsible for the movement of large quantities of cocaine in the United States and Europe. It was controlled by Abdallah Safieddine and Adham Tabaja. The organization was working under the name of the External Security Organization Business Affairs Component (BAC),

The drug and money laundering scheme is said to have operated across seven countries. The BAC network is said to have established business relationships with South American drug cartels, such as La Oficina de Envigado. 

DEA spokesperson, said that the sale of drugs often and transfer of money occurs via the purchasing of high priced antique cars, and that often the money is hidden inside the cars themselves as the cars travel from place to place. 

Last week the United States Treasury announced a series of sanctions against Hezbollah which is one of the terror organizations that appears on the list of the State Department.