Hezbollah Inc.

On August 4, 2020, Beirut was devastated by an ammonium nitrate explosion. Hezbollah, linked to Iran and controlling much of Lebanon, refused an independent investigation despite international pressure. For 40 years, they infiltrated the Lebanese state. In the mid-2000s, the US DEA secretly tried to bring them down with 'Project Cassandra,' starting from the ruins of the World Trade Centre.

The 2005 assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri caused turmoil in Lebanon and worldwide. Syria was accused of the attack, leading to the withdrawal of its army amid local hostility. This left Hezbollah without a key ally and protector, and they were also suspected of being involved in Hariri's murder.

Since 2010, Hezbollah militants have sought asylum in France, benefiting from a large Lebanese community and free movement in Europe. Paris became a hub for laundering money from cocaine trafficking. Alerted by the DEA, French police launched "Operation Cedar," a new chapter in Operation Cassandra, to address this issue.