Leaked Files Uncover Iran’s Secret Passport Plot to Infiltrate America
Leaked Venezuelan documents reveal a decade-long scheme issuing fraudulent passports to thousands of Iranians, Syrians, and Lebanese, some linked to terrorism, raising fears of infiltration into the U.S. The operation, allegedly facilitated by a Hezbollah-linked diplomat and a former Venezuelan official, exploited passport system vulnerabilities to enable global mobility for potential operatives.
Leaked Venezuelan intelligence files have unveiled a disturbing operation that issued over 10,000 fraudulent passports to Iranians, Syrians, and Lebanese nationals, many suspected of ties to terrorism, potentially enabling unrestricted access to the United States and other countries. The documents, spanning nearly a decade, detail passport numbers, birth dates, and personal information for individuals with no legitimate claim to Venezuelan citizenship, raising alarms about national security risks.
Central to the scheme is Ghazi Nasr Al-Din, a Lebanese-born Venezuelan diplomat who served as chargé d’affaires in Damascus, Syria. Designated a global terrorist by U.S. authorities in 2008, Al-Din was accused of advising Hezbollah donors on fundraising and providing bank account details to channel funds directly to the terror group. “Nasr al Din has counseled Hezbollah donors on fundraising efforts and has provided donors with specific information on bank accounts where the donors’ deposits would go directly to Hezbollah,” stated Treasury Department officials in 2008. The FBI added him to its terrorism “seeking information” list in 2015 for facilitating Hezbollah’s travel and operations. Intelligence reports suggest Al-Din personally approved many of these fraudulent passports.
The operation allegedly involved Tareck El Aissami, Venezuela’s former Vice-President, who oversaw visa issuance and naturalization for citizens from Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iran, and Iraq. El Aissami was arrested in April 2024 on charges of embezzlement and money laundering. The fraudulent passports granted visa-free access to over 130 countries, including 26 EU nations, making them powerful tools for international mobility. U.S. officials fear these documents enabled Iranian operatives to establish footholds in South America before attempting illegal U.S. border crossings.
Between 2021 and 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection apprehended 1,504 Iranian nationals illegally entering the U.S., with 729 released into the country during the Biden administration. An internal CBP memo from Commissioner Rodney Scott warned that thousands of Iranians have entered illegally, stating, “the threat of sleeper cells or sympathizers acting on their own, or at the behest of Iran, has never been higher.” A 2006 State Department report had previously flagged vulnerabilities in Venezuela’s passport system, noting documents were easily obtained by unauthorized individuals.
The Venezuelan Embassy in Damascus denied the allegations, stating, “These accusations are false. Venezuela is a country and a territory of peace and love.” Despite these denials, the long-standing ties between Venezuela and Iran, coupled with recent arrests of Iranian nationals with suspected terror links, have heightened concerns about the potential for undetected operatives within the U.S.