Off the coast of Venezuela is Margarita Island. Home to six terrorist training camps

quote:

---

but overlooked the persistent allegations of terrorist activity tied to Margarita Island. These claims, primarily from U.S. government sources, intelligence reports, and congressional testimonies, portray the island as a hub for groups like Hezbollah (a U.S.-designated terrorist organization backed by Iran) and others, including FARC (Colombian guerrillas) and even Hamas. The narrative stems from Venezuela's close ties with Iran under Presidents Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, which allegedly facilitated safe havens, funding, and training operations. However, Venezuelan officials and some analysts dismiss much of this as U.S.-driven propaganda amid geopolitical tensions, lacking concrete public evidence like photos or arrests on the island itself. Below, I'll break it down based on available reports.Background and Key AllegationsHezbollah's Role: Margarita Island is frequently cited as a "safe haven" for Hezbollah operatives, leveraging the island's duty-free status, large Lebanese diaspora (around 12,000-15,000 Arab residents, many Shiite), and lax oversight for money laundering, drug trafficking, and recruitment. Reports claim Hezbollah has established businesses, safe houses, and training facilities there since the 1990s, using it as a transit point for operations across Latin America.In 2010, Venezuelan author Antonio Salas (who infiltrated radical groups) reported "as many as six terrorist training camps, mostly run by Venezuelan military officers," with some on Margarita Island. These camps allegedly trained local recruits in asymmetric warfare, explosives, and anti-U.S. tactics.
U.S. congressional hearings (e.g., 2012 House Homeland Security Committee) described Hezbollah conducting "terror training on Margarita Island for recruits from Venezuela and other Latin American countries," including Venezuelans sent to Lebanon or Iran for advanced instruction.
The Nassereddine family (Venezuelan diplomats with alleged Hezbollah ties) is central: Ghazi Nassereddine was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in 2008 for facilitating Hezbollah travel and fundraising; his brother Oday reportedly oversaw paramilitary training centers on the island, recruiting from Chavista "Bolivarian Circles" (pro-government militias).

---