Venezuela's Margarita Island has become a key operating base for Hezbollah in the Western Hemisphere, and the U.S. should work with regional allies to dismantle the group's alleged infrastructure before it poses a greater threat closer to home, Jose Lev Alvarez wrote in an opinion article in the Washington Examiner on Monday.

Alvarez contends the Caribbean island, located off Venezuela's northeastern coast, evolved into a hub for Hezbollah's alleged financing, logistics, and operational activities under President Nicolas Maduro and argues the island's proximity to the U.S heightens national security concerns.

The opinion piece alleges Hezbollah has used Margarita Island for years to facilitate money laundering, narcotics trafficking, and fundraising while benefiting from close ties between the Maduro government and Iran.

Alvarez said the island serves as a strategic platform for Iran-backed activities in Latin America, letting Hezbollah expand its financial networks and regional influence while operating far from the Middle East.

He argues the alleged presence of Hezbollah in Venezuela underscores the need for closer cooperation among the U.S, Israel, and friendly governments in the region to counter terrorist financing and disrupt transnational criminal organizations.

The op-ed also calls for stronger intelligence sharing, expanded maritime surveillance, cyber operations, and financial sanctions aimed at dismantling Hezbollah's alleged support networks throughout Latin America.

Alvarez proposes that the post-Maduro Venezuelan government negotiate a long-term strategic partnership with the U.S. involving Margarita Island while increasing counterterrorism cooperation with Israel.

The article also urges Washington to continue pressuring senior Venezuelan officials accused of supporting illicit networks and to make countering Iranian influence in the Western Hemisphere a higher national security priority.

The article comes as the Trump administration has intensified its focus on Iran and Tehran-backed proxy groups amid heightened tensions in the Middle East and renewed concerns over foreign influence and security threats closer to U.S. borders.