190:, immigration fraud, identity theft, tax evasion, and money laundering," and "material support to a terrorist organization." Federal courts estimate the cell collected a total of $ 8 million, funneled through some 500 different bank accounts. The Hezbollah cell also purchased and shipped "Night vision goggles and scopes, Surveying equipment, Global Positioning Systems, Metal detection equipment, Video equipment, Aircraft analysis & design software, Military compasses, Binoculars, Naval equipment, Ultrasonic dog repellers, Laser range finders, Digital cameras, zoom lenses, Computer equipment (laptops, high-speed modems; processors, joysticks, plotters, scanners, and printers), Stun guns, Handheld radios & receivers, Cellular telephones, Nitrogen cutters, Mining, drilling & blasting equipment" to the
177:
Michigan at 6:00 a.m. on July 20, 2000 captured many cell members and accomplices. A total of 18 arrest warrants were executed. The arrest of Said
Muhammad Harb provided invaluable insights into the structure of the Hezbollah cell, its members, and operations. In exchange for his cooperation, Harb received a lighter sentence, and his family was relocated from Lebanon to the United States. At least 230 local, state, and federal agents participated in the raids.
198:, mostly purchased by Harb. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud, the cell's leader, was sentenced to 155 years in federal prison. Hammoud's older brother, Shawqi Youssef, (a.k.a. "Bassem"), and "right-hand man" received a prison sentence of 70 years. Overall, 26 people were indicted in the operation. The Operation Smokescreen case is the first conviction for the violation of federal code 2339B, "
164:. The FBI, which had already been wiretapping communications of two of the cell members, apparently without the knowledge of local law enforcement, also participated in the joint operations. In all, sixteen law enforcement and intelligence services from state, local, and federal agencies contributed to the operation, including the
168:(CSIS). Surveillance was run from an empty storefront across from the JR Discount wholesaler building. The cell was secretly followed by a team of five vehicles, which took turns driving behind the cigarette smugglers. "As an extra precaution, the agents sometimes changed clothes and switched license plates during pit stops."
114:
Detective Fromme continued to monitor the purchases for several months, and determined cell members were transporting the cigarette cartons across state lines, in violation of federal laws. Each of the four men Fromme was watching purchased 299 cartons of cigarettes, the legal limit permitted without
54:
Detective
Sergeant Robert Fromme made repeated observations of a group of men purchasing large quantities of cigarettes, often with $ 20,000 - $ 30,000 in cash. The joint counterterrorism operation ended the fundraising operation, resulting in the arrest, trial, and conviction of the cell members.
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The assembled joint task force penetrated the
Hezbollah cell, developing more than ten informants from within the group, as well as from a pool of witnesses. Informants were gleaned from cell staff members, including drivers, smugglers, and even spouses. Simultaneous raids in North Carolina and
155:
The
Iredell County Sheriff's Office signed a memorandum of understanding with the Charlotte ATF, permitting the formal collaboration between the two agencies. As a result, Detective Fromme was officially reassigned to the ATF. Additional federal agencies were assigned to the case, including the
185:
Hezbollah members from the
Charlotte cell were arrested, tried, and convicted in a federal court in Charlotte, North Carolina. The case brought against the cell included "copyright violations, cigarette tax violations, counterfeit violations... bank scams, bribery,
143:
at the time. The
Hezbollah cell was selling the cigarettes through "front store" operations, and to local convenience stores in Dearborn, Michigan, with a price difference between North Carolina and Michigan ranging from $ 8.00 - $ 10.00 per carton. Each 680-mile
199:
479:
Conrad, Jr., Robert J., United States
Attorney, Western District of North Carolina. Testimony before Senate Committee on the Judiciary. "An Assessment of the Tools Needed to Fight the Financing of Terrorism." (20 November
127:. Fromme notified John Lorick, of the Charlotte ATF. ATF officials informed Fromme that cigarette trafficking was likely an attempt to sell the merchandise for as much as twice the price in states such as
106:), observed the cell purchasing massive quantities of cigarettes, paying for them in cash. The cash was usually carried in large grocery bags, containing as much as $ 20,000 to $ 30,000 at a time.
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trip to
Michigan carried between 800 and 1,500 cartons of cigarettes, worth between $ 3,000 and $ 10,000. Some cell members fraudulently secured a $ 1.6 million loan from the federal government's
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102:, and the other half were US-born, of Lebanese descent. Early in the spring of 1995, Detective Robert Fromme, working a second job at the tobacco wholesaler JR Discount (in
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139:- which had considerably higher taxes on tobacco. North Carolina's tax on cigarettes was five cents, whereas it was seventy-five cents in
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390:"CNN Transcript – Breaking News: Federal and State Authorities in North Carolina Announce 'Operation Smokescreen' – July 21, 2000"
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86:, working at a local pizza restaurant. At least two additional members of the Hezbollah Charlotte cell entered the
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531:"An Assessment of the Tools Needed to Fight the Financing of Terrorism.", Robert J. Conrad Jr., November 20, 2002.
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288:"A Hezbollah Terrorist Cell in Charlotte, NC: Fairly Routine | Your America | Reader's Digest"
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Lightning Out of
Lebanon: Hizballah Terrorists on American Soil, Tom Diaz and Barbara Newman, 2006.
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23:, that took place in early 1995, ending in 2002. The operation involved the Sheriff's Office in
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411:"CNN.com - U.S. authorities bust cigarette-smuggling ring linked to Hezbollah - July 21, 2000"
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Cigarette Taxes, Black
Markets, and Crime Lessons from New York’s 50-Year Losing Battle
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Federal and State Authorities in North Carolina Announce 'Operation Smokescreen', CNN
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Providing material support or resources to designated foreign terrorist organizations
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cell leader Mohamad Youssef Hammoud was denied a travel visa by the US embassy in
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Cigarette smuggling case offers inside look at Hezbollah's presence in America –
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was an American interagency counterterrorist operation to disrupt fundraising by
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260:"Federal Bureau of Investigation - Law Enforcement Bulletin - December 2007"
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Blood Money: A Hezbollah Terrorist Cell in Charlotte, N.C., Reader's Digest
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U.S. authorities bust cigarette-smuggling ring linked to Hezbollah, CNN
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348:"BBC News | AMERICAS | Hezbollah suspects arrested"
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purchased for $ 200, and three had travel visas issued in
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The operation led to the creation of the North Carolina
78:. After purchasing a forged travel visa, arrived in
115:filing legal paperwork. Cigarettes were moved from
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Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
534:American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us,
82:in 1992. By 1995, Hammoud set up operations in
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517:Hezbollah suspects arrested, BBC News
98:. Half the cell members were born in
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33:Federal Bureau of Investigation
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150:Small Business Administration
90:with false travel visas from
74:, after which he traveled to
244:U.S. News & World Report
158:Diplomatic Security Service
104:Statesville, North Carolina
49:Diplomatic Security Service
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57:Joint Terrorism Task Force
317:"PowerPoint Presentation"
204:Asheville, North Carolina
84:Charlotte, North Carolina
45:U.S. Department of State
17:Operation Smokescreen
298:on December 5, 2008.
208:Louisville, Kentucky
63:Hezbollah operations
146:cigarette smuggling
188:credit card fraud
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137:Pennsylvania
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110:Surveillance
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192:Middle East
547:Categories
452:2016-07-28
333:2009-01-04
292:www.rd.com
270:2016-07-28
558:Hezbollah
214:Footnotes
196:Hezbollah
121:Tennessee
92:Venezuela
76:Venezuela
68:Hezbollah
21:Hezbollah
461:cite web
379:cato.org
141:Michigan
133:New York
129:Michigan
125:Virginia
59:(JTTF).
39:(BATF),
538:, 2002.
488:Sources
181:Outcome
100:Lebanon
51:(DSS).
35:(FBI),
480:2002).
420:3 June
395:3 June
357:3 June
206:, and
160:, and
135:, and
96:Cyprus
446:(PDF)
439:(PDF)
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72:Syria
467:link
422:2023
397:2023
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172:Raid
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