As the Biden administration faces backlash for failing to suitably address pro-Iranian militias attacks on US forces in the Middle East, it is the Latin America angle that should be viewed as having direct links to this threat to US national security. The continent harbors terrorist, narcoterrorism and influence campaigns by Iran and Hezbollah, and poses a challenge to the US both in terms of illegal migration and some of its countries’ ties to Iran

The October 7 attack by Hamas against Israel killed 1,200 people, including 32 U.S. citizens, renewing the global focus on radical Islamic terrorism. Those fears include the possibility that Hezbollah forces in Latin America could join the fight against Israel and carry out terrorist attacks in Latin America or in the United States and the Middle East.

On November 8, Brazilian Federal Police uncovered a plot by alleged Hezbollah operatives to attack Jewish targets. On December 7, the FBI presented Brazilian authorities with an urgent alert about the possible planning of an imminent terrorist attack in the country. Also in early December, Israel raised the travel alert level for its citizens in 80 countries, including Brazil and Argentina. This raise alert level was in response…