Brazilian courts this week released two men who were arrested in November on suspicion of having links to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The decision came at the request of the Federal Police and was not opposed by prosecutors investigating the case.
The probe into the possible recruitment of Brazilians to carry out extremist acts in the country began after the men were flagged as suspects by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
At the time, the Israeli government said that its Mossad foreign intelligence service was working with Brazilian security services and other international agencies to “foil a planned attack by Hezbollah against Jewish and Israeli targets in Brazil.”
According to EBC, Brazil’s federal communications agency, the U.S. Embassy tipped off Brazilian authorities on November 1 to possible links between Hezbollah and Brazilian nationals who had recently traveled to Lebanon. Several factors led the FBI to raise red flags about the suspects: the short duration of their trips to Lebanon (for just a few days), as well as their lack of ties to the country and their precarious financial situation for such an expensive trip.
“These unusual trips are very similar to the modus operandi used by terrorist organizations,” said an FBI memo sent to Brazilian officials.
A month after the arrests, however, Brazilian investigators believe that the two men released this week have no connection to terrorist activities. The investigation continues, however, as other suspects remain in police custody.
According to news website G1, police found that two other suspects were monitoring places frequented by Jewish communities in Brazil. One of suspects remains in custody, and police found that he had taken shooting lessons and purchased surveillance equipment.
The main target of the investigation, Mohammad Khir Adbulmajid, a Brazilian national of Syrian origin, remains at large and is believed to be hiding in Lebanon. He is on Interpol’s red list.
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