Sanctions Against a Hezbollah Front Company

Sanctions Against a Hezbollah Front Company
Press Statement
Jen Psaki
Department Spokesperson
Washington, DC
July 10, 2014
As the Treasury Department announced today, the United States targeted a key Hezbollah procurement network by designating brothers Kamel Mohamad Amhaz and Issam Mohamad Amhaz; their business, Stars Group Holding, which is based in Beirut and has subsidiaries in China and the UAE; and certain managers and individuals who supported their illicit activities.
Hezbollah relies heavily on front companies such as Stars Group Holding, which continue to procure dual-use material for the organization to enhance its military capabilities. Stars Group Holding has covertly purchased sophisticated electronics and other technology from suppliers around the world, including a range of engines, communications, electronics, and navigation equipment. These materials have directly supported Hezbollah's development of unmanned aerial vehicles for its destructive military activities in Syria.
Today's designation illustrates yet again the extent of Hezbollah's international presence and reach. We call on our partners to take action against Hezbollah's illicit networks, which fuel its violent political agenda and enhance its ability to engage in destabilizing activities in Syria, throughout the Middle East more broadly, and around the world.