USA v. Chamas, Ali Issa
Miami, FL

Hizballah

[SDFL] Ali Issa Chamas, a Paraguayan man of Lebanese descent, was charged by a Miami federal grand jury with distributing cocaine "knowing" that it "would be unlawfully imported into the United States." Chamas was extradited from Paraguay to Miami in June 2017 and is reported to be tied to Hizballah.A December 2017 prosecution filing noted, "The defendant also admitted to agents that some of his family members were Hezbollah and that the Chamas Clan was powerful and allied with Hezbollah. The defendant admitted to taking part in a shipment of 31 kilograms of cocaine that was seized by law enforcement in April of 2016 at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport in Lebanon, and that he and his associates paid $10,000 per kilogram to facilitate entry of the cocaine into Lebanon via the airport, knowing that the money was going to Hezbollah." Chamas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine knowing that it would be imported into the U.S. and was sentenced to 42 months in prison.