The U.S. Department of Justice has announced that Samuel Salman El Reda, a high-ranking member of Hezbollah, is facing charges related to acts of terrorism for his alleged involvement in the 1994 bombing in Buenos Aires, Argentina. El Reda has reportedly participated in terrorist operations across South America, Asia, and Lebanon.
According to a press release by the U.S. Department of Justice, El Reda is accused of conspiring to provide and providing material support to Hezbollah, among other offenses. He is currently based in Lebanon and remains at large. Court documents describe Hezbollah as a Shia Islamic organization founded in the 1980s with links to politics, terrorism, and social activities. Since its inception, the organization has been implicated in the deaths of hundreds of people—including Americans—in multiple terrorist attacks. State Department officials have described Hezbollah as the most technically capable terrorist group globally and a significant security threat to the United States.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen from the Justice Department’s National Security Division stated: "Nearly three decades ago, long-time Hezbollah terrorist operative Samuel Salman El Reda allegedly helped plan and execute the heinous attack on a Buenos Aires Jewish community center that murdered 85 innocent people and injured countless others." Olsen further added: "This indictment serves as a message to those who engage in acts of terror: that the Justice Department’s memory is long, and we will not relent in our efforts to bring them to justice."
Hezbollah was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Department of State in 1997. One component of this organization is the IJO (Islamic Jihad Organization), which plans counterintelligence and terrorist activities. Court documents indicate that El Reda has been leading terrorist operations for this organization since at least 1993. The charges against him include providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization; conspiring to provide such support; aiding and abetting the receipt of military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization; and conspiring to receive such training. If convicted on all counts, El Reda could face a maximum sentence of 55 years.
