Opinion Editorials

Tres décadas desde el atentado en Panamá: la conexión con Hezbolá y la extradición de Ali Zaki

• José Gustavo Arocha
• 04/21/2026
• Policy ReportsOpinion EditorialsIn the MediaPublications

El 20 de abril de 2026, Ali Zaki Hage Jalil llegó a Panamá para responder por los cargos relacionados con el atentado con bomba perpetrado en 1994 contra el vuelo 901 de Alas Chiricanas, un ataque vinculado a Hezbolá que causó la muerte de las 21 personas a bordo, un día después del atentado contra la AMIA en Buenos Aires. Durante 30 años, vivió abiertamente en Venezuela. Su extradición supone el avance más significativo en el caso desde 1994 y una posible prueba de la cooperación en materia de lucha contra el terrorismo tras la era Maduro.

Three Decades Since the Panama Bombing: The Hezbollah Connection and Ali Zaki’s Extradition

• José Gustavo Arocha
• 04/20/2026
• PublicationsIn the MediaOpinion EditorialsPolicy Reports

On April 20, 2026, Ali Zaki Hage Jalil arrived in Panama to face charges in the 1994 bombing of Alas Chiricanas Flight 901, a Hezbollah-linked attack that killed all 21 on board, one day after the AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires. For 30 years, he lived openly in Venezuela. His extradition marks the most significant breakthrough in the case since 1994, and a potential test of post-Maduro cooperation on counterterrorism.

After Maduro: Challenges for Stabilizing Venezuela

• José Gustavo Arocha
• 01/30/2026
• PublicationsIn the MediaOpinion EditorialsPolicy Reports

Maduro’s capture opened a path toward Venezuela’s stabilization and recovery. Success requires dismantling Iran’s operational footprint, severing military–militia links, and cutting illicit revenue (drug trafficking, shadow fleets, illegal mining, money laundering).

Neutralizing Iran’s Military Footprint in Venezuela

• In the MediaPublicationsOpinion EditorialsPolicy Reports

Iran has established a dangerous military arsenal in Venezuela, operational Mohajer-6 combat drones, Shahed-style loitering munitions, Nasr-1 anti-ship missiles, and fast-attack boats, with local assembly facilities and embedded Iranian personnel.

U.S. operation in Venezuela: self-defense against a hybrid aggressor

• PublicationsIn the MediaOpinion EditorialsPolicy Reports

The United States conducted a military operation on Venezuelan territory which, according to President Donald Trump, included a large-scale attack and resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his removal from the country.

Venezuela as Bridgehead: Treasury Sanctions Expose Iran’s Drone Capability Moving Closer to the United States

• PublicationsIn the MediaOpinion EditorialsPolicy Reports

The new U.S. Treasury designations underscore what SFS has documented for years: Venezuela is Iran’s Western Hemisphere bridgehead. The Tehran-Caracas drone pipeline is embedding capability closer to U.S. territory.

Tren de Aragua’s ATM “Jackpotting” Network: A Defensive Response to a Growing Transnational

• PublicationsOpinion Editorials

La red de “Jackpotting” de cajeros automáticos del Tren de Aragua: una respuesta defensiva a una creciente amenaza transnacional

• PublicationsOpinion Editorials