US and Europol say Hezbollah remains 'a dangerous organization'

The U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Justice, and Europol on July 9-10 convened the fourteenth meeting of the Law Enforcement Coordination Group (LECG) on countering Hezbollah’s “terrorist and illicit activities,” a U.S. statement said.

“Law enforcement, prosecutors, and financial practitioners from approximately 30 governments from across the Middle East, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America participated in this session,” the statement added.

“The LECG took stock of Hezbollah’s global terrorist and lethal plotting capabilities, in light of the significant blows the organization has taken over the past year. LECG participants assessed that Hezbollah remains a dangerous organization, determined to maintain its overseas footprint, with the ability to strike with little to no warning against targets around the world,” the statement warned.

LECG members also discussed Hezbollah’s “shaky financial state” and agreed that Hezbollah “may seek to increase its fundraising and procurement activities in the Western Hemisphere, Africa, and other locales,” the statement added.

The LECG was established by the United States and Europol in 2014 as “a global forum to improve international coordination with governments from around the world to counter” what they said are “Hezbollah’s terrorist and other illicit activities.”