New York District Attorney Robert Morgenthau has called the growing presence of Iran in Latin America a threat to US national security and demanded greater scrutiny and action by the United States and other Latin American countries. At a briefing of academics, civil society groups, Congressional staff, and journalists, Morgenthau discussed how the "blossoming relationship" between Iran and Venezuela presented opportunities for Iran to circumvent international economic sanctions designed to prevent them from developing long-range missile capacity and nuclear technology for military purposes.
Morgenthau cited "scores of Memoranda of Understanding" between the two nations with respect to joint technology development, military cooperation, banking and finance, and cooperation with oil and gas exploration as evidence of increasing cooperation between the two states and noted that "there is speculation that Venezuela could be mining uranium for Iran." Morgenthau also noted that the emergence of Iranian-owned and controlled factories in remote and undeveloped parts of Venezuela could present "ideal geographic locations for the illicit production of weapons."
He said two investigations of his office had pointed to Iranian efforts to procure weapons material and to bypass economic sanctions. "Our efforts uncovered a pervasive system of deceitful and fraudulent
practices employed by Iranian entities to move money all over the world, without detection, including through banks located in the jurisdiction I am responsible for protecting - Manhattan," said Morgenthau. "Why did Iran go to these lengths? I believe the answer is simple: in order to pay for materials necessary to develop nuclear weapons, long-range missiles, and road-side bombs."
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