The Reality of Iran's Quds Force In America's Backyard

The plot by the Iranians to take out the Saudi ambassador on American soil has certainly opened up the eyes of many in America as to just how our porous border to the south is making such terror in our country possible. Throw into the mix a relationship that has been formed by the islamic terrorists overseas with Mexican and South American drug cartels and hopefully, everyone in America is now paying attention.

This article from Family Security Matters showcases some key information in regards to the Iranian Quds Force and just how they operate and just how they have infiltrated big time into the western hemisphere.

At what point in time is our border with Mexico going to be treated as what it was meant to be...a line of defense and ownership and not a gateway to promised riches?

Quds Force in Our Own Backyard


As new information about the alleged Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in the U.S. continues to surface, keep in mind many of the seemingly unrelated particulars many counterterrorism analysts and experts have pointed to for years – and politicians have far too-often dismissed as unimportant fear-mongering – regarding the Iranian-Hizballah threat in the Western Hemisphere, particularly as regards the threat of the Iranian Quds Force (tasked with directing this latest plot) and Hizballah terrorists operating in central and South America.

Politics aside, let’s examine the facts and connect a few of the dots.

FIRST, what is the Quds Force?

The Quds (Jerusalem) Force is the special-operations arm of Iran’s Pasdaran or what we generally refer to as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Remember, Iran essentially has two sets of armed forces: They have the state armed forces – which includes army, navy, and air forces – and they have the Islamic armed forces under absolute control of the mullahs, which is the IRGC.

Like the regular state armed forces, the IRGC maintains ground, naval and air units. But it also is responsible for the strategic missile forces. The IRGC commands the Basij militia, an all-volunteer paramilitary force fiercely loyal to the revolution. And the IRGC maintains the Quds Force, which is responsible for the IRGC's foreign activities.

The Quds Force was directly involved in deadly attacks against U.S. soldiers in Iraq (during the height of the war), even Afghanistan. They have threatened our ships in the Persian Gulf; and they are directly
responsible for organizing, training, equipping, funding, and providing operational-support to Lebanon-based Hizballah.

SECOND, we know that Quds Force and Hizballah operators, supporters, and sympathizers have received direct support from – and they have enjoyed incredible freedom-of-movement within – the Mexican drug cartels and from within some of the most notorious gangs operating in both central and North America like Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13).

According to Businessweek, “The plotters, one of whom is in U.S. custody, also targeted Israel’s embassy in Washington, as well as the embassies ofIsrael and Saudi Arabia in Argentina, according to a federal law enforcement official familiar with the matter.”

Argentina is key.

Recall that my colleagues and I have discussed at length the tri-border area of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay that has – according to a 2009 study by the Rand Institute – “emerged as the most important financing center for Islamic terrorism outside of the Middle East.”

These facts – as well as this latest plot – speak to the threat we are facing south of the border. And they demonstrate just how important an understanding of these threats in the Western Hemisphere really is.