Eleventh Meeting of the Law Enforcement Coordination Group Focuses on Countering Hizballah’s Global Terrorist, Financial, and Procurement Networks

The U.S. Departments of State and Justice convened the Law Enforcement Coordination Group (LECG) on June 22-23 at Europol’s Headquarters in The Hague.  This was the 11^th meeting of the LECG, which focuses on countering Hizballah’s global terrorist, financial, and procurement networks.  More than 35 governments across the Middle East, South America, Central America, Europe, Africa, Indo-Pacific, and North America participated in this session, along with INTERPOL, EUROPOL, and the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law.

Participants discussed how Hizballah’s global terrorist plotting, financial schemes, and weapons procurement have evolved since the last global LECG meeting in 2022.   LECG members also discussed how Hizballah operates across various regions and what types of law enforcement or financial tools are most effective in countering Hizballah operations within their territory.

The LECG also featured case studies on Hizballah’s recent terrorist and illicit activities, and governmental actions to disrupt these schemes.  Case studies included: Hizballah’s oil smuggling networks; al Qard al-Hassan, a major Hizballah-linked financial institution; Hizballah financier Nazem Ahmad; and several recent U.S. and international prosecutions of Hizballah members.

Officials from the U.S. Departments of the Treasury and Homeland Security, as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Counterterrorism Center, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, also participated in this meeting.  The LECG will convene again in 2024.

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