Venezuela Shelters Palestinian Terror Groups, Hackers Reveal

Hackers reveal Palestinians involved in money laundering, drug dealing, terror and more under protection of Venezuelan intelligence.

By Pesach Benson, United With Israel

Hackers who broke into Venezuelan intelligence revealed that President Nicolas Maduro’s socialist government is giving protection to Palestinian terrorists involved in money laundering, drug dealing, terror and other crimes, Israel Hayom reported on Monday.

While Venezuela’s support for Hezbollah is well-known, the South American country’s safe haven for Palestinian terrorists is not.

The anti-government hacker group, which calls itself Team HDP, told Israel Hayom it was working in cooperation with former Venezuelan intelligence officials. It gained access to the Directorate General of Military Counterintelligence and released the names of several Palestinian and Hezbollah operatives working in the South American country.

One of the Palestinian terror cells said to belong to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades is made up of at least four men working under the guise of doctors in Merida, a western region in Venezuela where uranium, thorium and coltan mines of interest to Iran currently operate. The hackers identified three of the four as “Fawaz Snofar,” “Mahmoud Khalaf,” and “Muhammad Abu-Rah.”

According to information obtained by Team HDP, one of the fake Palestinian doctors is responsible for the deaths of several patients in Merida.

Israel Hayom also reported that the Cuban Intelligence Directorate, also known as G2, is also involved with the Palestinian activities.

Hezbollah and Iran Connections

As for the Hezbollah operatives, they are involved in the trafficking of arms, drugs, strategic minerals and even women and children. The hackers identified them as all members of the Maklad family from As-Suwayda, a Syrian village near the Jordanian border. According to Team HDP, they entered Venezuela under the cover of Spanish-language students.

Energy-starved Venezuela helps Iran defy U.S. sanctions on its oil exports. With Venezuelan oil refineries in disrepair, Reuters reported that Caracas had agreed in September “to swap its heavy oil for Iranian condensate that it can use to improve the quality of its tar-like crude.”

Venezuela also pays Iran with money, gold and other commodities — possibly including uranium, thorium and coltan. Uranium and thorium can be used to fuel a nuclear chain reaction, while coltan is a rare earth mineral used to manufacture electronic capacitors in commonly used cell phones, laptops and other technology.

Two weeks ago, a fugitive businessman with ties to the Maduro regime and Hezbollah was extradited to the U.S. after being arrested in Cape Verde. According to reports, Alex Raab a businessman and Maduro aide, is accused of exploiting food aid to Venezuela to launder millions of dollars for the president. Some of that money, reports say, was also directed to Hezbollah.

Venezuela has been devastated by hyperinflation, poverty disease and crime brought on by widespread mismanagement, corruption, and falling oil prices.