US Charges Three Individuals for Attempting to Transfer Drone Parts to Hezbollah

Reports indicate that US federal prosecutors have charged three individuals with attempting to illegally transfer drone parts from the United States to Hezbollah in Lebanon. According to Reuters, the US Department of Justice stated that Osama Darwish Hamda and Issam Darwish Hamda are currently detained in South Africa, while Samir Ahmad Barro is at large and wanted. The indictment against the three states that they attempted to send goods, including cameras, engines, and other drone components to Hezbollah between 2009 and 2013. The Associated Press reports that the federal prosecutor's office in Minnesota has also stated that the three are Lebanese citizens, and two of them are brothers. According to the report, Osama Darwish Hamda and Issam Darwish Hamda were arrested in South Africa on Tuesday and are set to be extradited to the United States. Federal prosecutors in Minnesota have announced that the two brothers are scheduled to appear in federal court in the region on February 26 (in 10 days). Based on this report, Osama Darwish Hamda also holds South African citizenship, while the whereabouts of his brother remain unspecified. The Associated Press notes that Hezbollah has likely been using drones since 2004. Hezbollah, one of the most significant groups supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran, is considered a terrorist organization by several countries, including the United States. The US State Department has listed Hezbollah as a terrorist organization since 1997.