July 17, 2025
Mr. Shreve (for himself, Mr. Gottheimer, Mr. Huizenga, Ms. Salazar, and Mr. Messmer) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
To require a strategy to counter Iranian and Hezbollah influence operations in Latin America.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Barring Adversarial Networks and Notorious Extremist Destabilizers in Latin America Act
or the BANNED in Latin America Act
.
Sec. 2. Strategy to counter Iranian and Hezbollah influence operations in Latin America
(a) Strategy required
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a comprehensive strategy to counter Iran’s and Hezbollah’s propaganda, missionary networks, and influence operations in Latin America.
(b) Contents of strategy
The strategy required by subsection (a) shall include the following:
(1)
Measures to address the proliferation of Iranian cultural centers in Latin America that promote Iranian ideology, including diplomatic efforts to limit their operations, sanctions on affiliated entities, and public diplomacy to expose their activities.
(2)
Actions to restrict the travel and activities of Iranian emissaries, including diplomats, cultural attaches, and other agents who facilitate propaganda, radicalization, and terror-supporting networks in Latin America, through visa denials, sanctions, or other travel restrictions.
(3)
Initiatives to strengthen the capacity of United States intelligence agencies to identify, monitor, and disrupt Iran’s and Hezbollah’s networks, including their cooperation academic institutions and nongovernmental organizations in Latin America.
(4)
A framework for taking actions, similar to those implemented against Al-Manar and Press TV, to disrupt Iran’s HispanTV and Hezbollah’s Al Mayadeen Espanol platforms, including sanctions, designations, and cooperation with regional partners to limit their broadcasting reach and digital presence.
(5)
A plan to address Iran’s Al Mustafa International University network and its affiliated entities, including their designations as foreign terrorist organizations or specially designated global terrorists, as appropriate, due to their role in radicalization and recruitment for Iran’s ideological and terrorist objectives.
(c) Form
The strategy required by subsection (a) shall be transmitted in unclassified form and may include a classified annex.
(d) Appropriate congressional committee defined
In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means—
(1)
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives; and
(2)
the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.