Ex-Lebanese diplomat pleads guilty of violating US sanctions for Hezbollah funding

Mohammad Ibrahim Bazzi, a former Lebanese diplomat and alleged financier for Hezbollah, pleaded guilty on Friday to evading U.S. sanctions, marking a significant development in the U.S. government’s efforts to cut off funding to the Iranian-backed militant group.

Bazzi, 60, who holds Lebanese, British, and Belgian citizenship, admitted in federal court to conspiring to conduct illegal financial transactions with Hezbollah, designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. The U.S. Department of Justice stated that Bazzi had been involved in moving hundreds of thousands of dollars from the U.S. to Lebanon in violation of the sanctions imposed on him.

“Bazzi knowingly and willfully engaged in a scheme to funnel money in direct violation of U.S. sanctions,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement, adding that the former diplomat has now “accepted responsibility” for his actions.

Bazzi faces a potential 20-year prison sentence, as well as the forfeiture of $828,528 — funds connected to the unlawful transactions. Although no date has been set for his sentencing, he also faces deportation once his prison term is complete.

In 2018, the U.S. Department of State designated Bazzi a “specially designated global terrorist” and offered a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture. The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control accused Bazzi of using his business ventures across Belgium, Lebanon, Iraq, and West Africa to generate millions of dollars in support of Hezbollah.

Bazzi was arrested in Romania in February 2023 before being extradited to the U.S. to face charges. According to prosecutors, he worked alongside an accomplice, Talal Chahine, who remains a fugitive in Lebanon. The pair are accused of laundering funds through fraudulent transactions, including equipment purchases for a restaurant in China, property deals in Lebanon, and a loan routed through Kuwait.

Bazzi’s background as a former honorary consul for Gambia in Lebanon, a position he held from 2005, has also come under scrutiny. Investigative reports from ProPublica suggest that this diplomatic role provided Bazzi with access to connections that may have facilitated his financial dealings.