{"id":2175812,"date":"2024-02-14T05:06:02","date_gmt":"2024-02-14T10:06:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-has-no-plan-to-prevent-hezbollah-from-cashing-in-on-menthol-cigarette-ban\/"},"modified":"2024-02-14T05:13:00","modified_gmt":"2024-02-14T10:13:00","slug":"biden-admin-has-no-plan-to-prevent-hezbollah-from-cashing-in-on-menthol-cigarette-ban","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-has-no-plan-to-prevent-hezbollah-from-cashing-in-on-menthol-cigarette-ban\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden Admin Lacks Strategy to Stop Hezbollah&#8217;s Gain from Menthol Cigarette Ban"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbiden-admin-has-no-plan-to-prevent-hezbollah-from-cashing-in-on-menthol-cigarette-ban%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2175812&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The\u200b Biden Administration&#8217;s Menthol Cigarette Ban \u200dRaises Concerns About Terrorist Financing<\/h2>\n<p>The\u200d Biden administration is facing\u200b criticism for \u200bnot \u2063having a plan \u200din place to\u2064 prevent \u200bHezbollah \u2063from capitalizing on its proposed menthol cigarette\u2062 ban. Lawmakers and experts warn that\u200d this ban could create a\u2064 black market\u200b that would enrich the Iran-backed terror group and Mexican drug cartels.<\/p>\n<p>As the FDA considers banning mentholated cigarettes, which\u200d are smoked by around 40 \u2063percent of adults, lawmakers \u200chave \u2064been urging federal authorities to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/now-is-the-time-to-stop-iran-from-building-a-nuclear-weapon\/\" title=\"Now Is the Time to Stop Iran From Building a Nuclear Weapon\">develop contingency plans<\/a>\u2064 to stop Hezbollah and its cartel partners from smuggling black market cigarettes into \u2063the United States.<\/p>\n<p>However,\u200d Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) have not shown any signs of developing strategies to combat the emerging black market for menthol\u200b cigarettes. This trade is expected \u200bto generate millions in profit, with terrorist groups like Hezbollah and\u2063 Hamas already involved in illegal \u200bcigarette trafficking.<\/p>\n<p>Lawmakers, including Rep. \u2062Jim Banks, have expressed concerns about the national \u200dsecurity \u200brisks posed by the ban. \u2062They have called on the Biden \u2063administration to pause the ban \u200buntil federal\u200c agencies \u2064can demonstrate a plan to combat black\u200d market \u200dsales. So far, the administration has \u2063not\u200d responded to\u200d these inquiries or addressed concerns \u200babout terrorism\u2062 financing.<\/p>\n<p>CBP and ATF \u2064spokespersons have declined\u2062 to comment\u2062 on the proposed rule, with\u2062 the ATF citing Department of Justice policy. This lack of response has raised alarm among experts and analysts who fear that the Biden administration \u200dis \u200cill-prepared\u200b to deal with the potential increase in \u2062illicit cigarette smuggling.<\/p>\n<p>Richard Goldberg, an \u2064analyst and former member of the White House\u2064 National Security Council, highlights the\u200d risks \u2064of \u200ban open border and the potential for Hezbollah to establish massive cigarette trafficking networks in \u2063America.\u200c Rep. Mark Green also warns that Hezbollah\u2064 will take advantage of the new black market to\u200d fund\u200b their\u2063 activities.<\/p>\n<p>Given Hezbollah&#8217;s history in the illicit\u2064 cigarette trade, including a previous\u2064 $8 million\u200b smuggling operation, concerns about their involvement in the \u2064proposed menthol cigarette\u2062 ban are valid.\u200d Iran&#8217;s increased presence \u200din Latin America further amplifies these concerns.<\/p>\n<p>Lawmakers in both the House and \u2063Senate,\u200b such as Reps. Andrew Garbarino and\u2063 Jared Moskowitz, \u200das well as Sen. \u200cTom Cotton,\u200c have been leading efforts to halt the menthol ban. They \u200dargue that it could \u200cprovide a significant\u200b revenue stream for terrorist organizations and finance \u200btheir nefarious activities.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> \u200d Why\u2062 does the potential collaboration between Hezbollah and Mexican drug cartels, in profiting from the\u2063 demand for menthol cigarettes,\u2063 raise concerns about \u200cterrorist financing and the destabilization of the United States and neighboring \u2063countries?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Immigration and Customs \u2062Enforcement (ICE) have\u200b not announced any\u200d specific measures to combat potential smuggling activities related to the\u2064 menthol cigarette \u2064ban. \u2063This lack of action has raised concerns among lawmakers and\u200d experts\u200b who fear that the\u200d ban could inadvertently contribute\u2063 to the financing of terrorist groups.<\/p>\n<p>Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based\u200b militant group backed by Iran, has\u2063 long \u2064been engaged\u2062 in various\u200b illegal activities to fund its operations. These activities\u200b include drug trafficking, money laundering, and smuggling. \u200cBy prohibiting menthol cigarettes, which are particularly popular among \u2063certain\u200d demographics, the \u200dBiden administration risks creating a\u2064 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/u-s-arms-sent-to-ukraine-make-their-way-to-boko-haram-islamists\/\" title=\"U.S. Arms Sent to Ukraine Make Their Way to Boko Haram Islamists\">lucrative black market<\/a> for these products.<\/p>\n<p>Mexican drug cartels, known for their \u200dinvolvement\u2062 in drug smuggling \u2063and other \u2062criminal enterprises, could seize the opportunity to expand their\u200c operations and profit from \u2063the demand for menthol cigarettes. The potential\u2063 collaboration between Hezbollah and Mexican drug cartels raises concerns about the flow of funds \u200cto\u2063 terrorist organizations and the destabilization of both the United States and its neighboring countries.<\/p>\n<p>Lawmakers argue that the Biden administration should consider\u2062 the unintended consequences of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-gops-newest-midterm-issue-menthols\/\" title=\"The GOP\u2019s Newest Midterm Issue: Menthols?\">menthol cigarette ban<\/a> and\u2064 implement comprehensive\u2063 strategies to address \u200cpotential terrorist\u2064 financing\u200c and smuggling activities. These strategies would involve coordination between federal agencies such as the Department of Justice, Department\u200b of\u2064 Homeland Security, and the FDA to monitor and prevent illicit trade and criminal networks from exploiting the ban.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, experts\u2063 emphasize the importance of international cooperation in combating\u2062 terrorist financing. Strengthening \u200bpartnerships with\u2063 countries affected by Hezbollah&#8217;s activities, such as Lebanon and Mexico, is crucial to disrupt their financing networks and dismantle their operations.<\/p>\n<p>In light of these \u200dconcerns, lawmakers are \u200burging the \u2063Biden administration to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bidens-push-to-make-military-vehicles-climate-friendly-hands-americas-military-infrastructure-to-red-china\/\" title=\"Biden's plan for eco-friendly military vehicles gives China control of US military infrastructure.\">prioritize national security<\/a> \u2063and implement necessary measures to mitigate the risks associated with the menthol cigarette ban. They argue that a comprehensive approach, inclusive\u2064 of intelligence gathering, law\u200b enforcement cooperation, and public-private partnerships, is necessary to counter any potential threat to U.S.\u2063 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/feds-investigating-chinese-spies-return-to-us-ahead-of-covid-travel-ban\/\" title=\"Feds Investigating Chinese Spies\u2019 Return to US Ahead of COVID Travel Ban\">national security posed<\/a> \u2064by terrorist \u200dfinancing.<\/p>\n<p>It is crucial that the Biden administration addresses these\u2062 concerns promptly and develops robust plans to prevent terrorist groups and drug cartels from exploiting the menthol cigarette ban. By \u2064doing so, the administration \u200bcan demonstrate \u200dits \u2063commitment to both public health and national security\u2064 and ensure \u2062that its \u200dpolicies do not inadvertently\u200b contribute to\u200b the financing\u2063 of terrorism or criminal activities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Biden administration lacks a strategy to stop Hezbollah from profiting through a menthol cigarette ban. Experts warn that this could create a lucrative black market benefiting the Iran-backed terror group and Mexican drug cartels. While the FDA deliberates on banning menthol cigarettes, the potential consequences need careful consideration<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":117,"featured_media":2175813,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/MixCollage-13-Feb-2024-04-00-PM-6435.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2175812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/MixCollage-13-Feb-2024-04-00-PM-6435.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2175812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/117"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2175812"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2175812\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2175813"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2175812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2175812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2175812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}