charged with supporting Hezbollah financially and 
was described by the United States Attorney as a 
‘‘fighter, recruiter and fundraiser’’. 
(2) In December 2006, the Department of the 
Treasury designated nine individuals and two enti-
ties as part of a network that is ‘‘a major financial 
artery to Hezbollah in Lebanon’’ and announced an 
effort to target Hezbollah fundraising in the tri-bor-
der area of Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. 
(3) In 2007, the Chavez regime established rou-
tine civilian airline flights between Venezuela and 
designated State Sponsors of Terrorism, Iran, and 
Syria. 
(4) In November 2007, Interpol’s General As-
sembly agreed to issue red capture notices for the 
arrest of a Hezbollah leader and five former senior 
Iranian officials charged by Argentina in the 1994 
Argentine Mutual Jewish Association (AMIA) ter-
rorist attack, in which 85 innocent people were killed 
and 300 more were wounded. 
(5) In February 2008, Director of National In-
telligence Mike McConnell reported to Congress in 
his presentation of the Intelligence Community’s An-
nual Threat Assessment that the governments of Ec-
uador, Nicaragua, and Bolivia, ‘‘to varying degrees, 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:37 Jul 07, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6067.IH
H6067
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
have engaged in sharply anti-U.S. rhetoric, aligned 
with Venezuela and Cuba—and increasingly Iran— 
on international issues, and advocated measures that 
directly clash with U.S. initiatives’’. 
(6) In February 2008, a United States Federal 
law-enforcement official shared, ‘‘We’ve known for 
some time that Islamic extremists groups were gain-
ing momentum and exploiting the region . . . Iran 
is no exception—now with Cuba and Venezuela, the 
door is open.’’. 
(7) Venezuela has concluded nearly 200 bilat-
eral agreements with Iran on military cooperation, 
the sharing of intelligence, expanding financial co-
operation, and initiating cultural exchanges, among 
others. 
(8) According to United States intelligence offi-
cials, Iran possesses the potential to use its close re-
lationship with Venezuela to facilitate the smuggling 
of people, drugs, and weapons into the Western 
Hemisphere through terrorist proxy groups. 
(9) In March 2008, the Colombian army led a 
raid against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Co-
lombia and seized computers containing documents 
that suggest evidence of $300,000,000 in payments 
to the extremist organization from the Venezuelan 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:37 Jul 07, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6067.IH
H6067
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
Government, high-level contacts by the FARC with 
officials from Ecuador and Venezuela, and efforts by 
the FARC to obtain 50 kilograms of uranium. 
(10) In June 2008, the Department of the 
Treasury designated two Venezuela-based supporters 
of Hezbollah, Ghazi Nasr al Din and Fawzi Kan’an, 
along with two travel agencies owned and controlled 
by Kan’an, explaining it is ‘‘extremely troubling to 
see the Government of Venezuela employing and 
providing safe harbor to Hezbollah facilitators and 
fundraisers’’. 
(11) In October 2008, the Department of the 
Treasury 
designated 
Banco 
Internacional 
de 
Desarollo, C.A., a financial institution located in 
Venezuela, to be owned or controlled by or acting or 
purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or in-
directly, the Export Development Bank of Iran 
(EDBI). EDBI was designated for its role in
help-
ing Iran
violate United Nations sanctions and han-
dle its illicit transactions. 
(12) In May 2010, for the fifth year in a row, 
the Department of State determined, pursuant to 
section 40A of the Arms Export Control Act, that 
Venezuela was not cooperating fully with United 
States antiterrorism efforts. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:37 Jul 07, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6067.IH
H6067
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(13) In February 2011, the Department of the 
Treasury identified the Lebanese Canadian Bank as 
a financial institution of ‘‘primarily money laun-
dering concern’’ under section 311 of the USA PA-
TRIOT Act, for its role in facilitating the money 
laundering activities of an international narcotics 
trafficking network with ties to Hezbollah. This net-
work is involved in moving illicit drugs and money 
laundering from South America to Europe and the 
Middle East through West Africa. 
(14) In April 2011, General Douglas Fraser, 
General of U.S. Southern Command, testified before 
Congress that there are ‘‘growing opportunities for 
military-to-military connections’’ between Iran and 
Venezuela and that there are ‘‘flights between Iran 
and Venezuela on a weekly basis and visas are not 
required for entrance into Venezuela or Bolivia or 
Nicaragua’’. 
(15) In October 2011, the Drug Enforcement 
Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investiga-
tion charged two individuals for suspected participa-
tion in an Iranian Qods Force plot to murder the 
Saudi Arabian Ambassador on United States soil. 
(16) In December 2011, Univision aired a docu-
mentary titled The Iranian Threat that exposed a 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:37 Jul 07, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6067.IH
H6067
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
plan to launch a cyber attack against the United 
States Government and nuclear facilities involving 
Iran, Cuba, and Venezuela. 
(17) In January 2012, the Venezuelan Consul 
General in Miami, was declared persona non grata 
by the Department of State for her participation in 
a cyber attack and was expelled from the United 
States. 
(18) A 2012 Drug Enforcement Administration 
report identified 38 percent of the organizations on 
the Foreign Terrorist Organizations list as having 
possible ties to the drug trade, underscoring the fact 
that the fight against terrorism must also include a 
corresponding fight against illicit drugs. 
(19) In January 2012, Director of National In-
telligence James R. Clapper reported to Congress in 
his presentation of the Intelligence Community’s An-
nual Threat Assessment that ‘‘some Iranian officials 
have changed their calculus and are now willing to 
conduct an attack in the United States’’. 
(20) In January 2012, Henry Rangel Silva be-
came the Defense Minister of Venezuela. The De-
partment of Treasury had previously designated 
Silva a ‘‘drug kingpin’’ in 2008 due to his involve-
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:37 Jul 07, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6067.IH
H6067
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
ment with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Co-
lombia. 
(21) In March 2012, General Douglas Fraser, 
General of U.S. Southern Command, testified before 
Congress that ‘‘connections with Hezbollah and 
Hamas who have been in the region for a number 
of years primarily still focused on supporting, con-
ducting illicit activity to provide funding support and 
logistic support back to parent organizations within 
the Middle East’’. 
(22) The Inter-American Convention Against 
Terrorism of the Organization of American States 
(OAS) commits all State parties to establish domes-
tic regulatory institutions that eradicate the financ-
ing of terrorist offenses, cooperate with fellow sig-
natories to control borders, provide mutual legal as-
sistance in counterterrorism efforts and prosecution 
of terrorist offenses, and conform to all other stipu-
lations of the convention designed to prevent, pun-
ish, and eliminate terrorist offenses. 
(23) The countries within the Western Hemi-
sphere that have ratified the Inter-American Con-
vention Against Terrorism of the OAS are Antigua 
& Barbuda, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Co-
lombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, the Dominican Re-
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:37 Jul 07, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6067.IH
H6067
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
public, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, 
Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, 
Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad & Tobago, the United 
States, Uruguay, and Venezuela. 
SEC. 102. STATEMENT OF POLICY RELATING TO IRAN, 
HEZBOLLAH, 
AND 
OTHER 
FOREIGN 
TER-
RORIST ORGANIZATIONS. 
It shall be the policy of the United States to— 
(1) undertake a whole-of-government approach 
to deny Iran, or its proxies such as Hezbollah, or 
any other foreign terrorist organization, agent, or in-
strumentality of either, the resources to engage in 
activities that— 
(A) threaten United States national secu-
rity, its interests, and its allies; 
(B) provide safe haven within the terri-
tories and boundaries of countries within the 
Western Hemisphere; and 
(C) provide financial support in order to 
carry out illicit activities around the globe; and 
(2) deter foreign investments and cooperation 
of countries within the Western Hemisphere that 
would enhance the ability of Iran, or any agent or 
instrumentality thereof, to develop nuclear, biologi-
cal, or chemical weapons. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:37 Jul 07, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6067.IH
H6067
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
SEC. 103. STATEMENT OF POLICY RELATING TO CERTAIN 
INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS. 
To enhance the security of the Western Hemisphere 
and bolster regional capacity to counter terrorism, it shall 
be the policy of the United States to promote the signing, 
ratification, and implementation by all countries in the 
Western Hemisphere of the following: 
(1) OAS AG/RES. 1840 (XXXII–O/02) Inter- 
American Convention Against Terrorism. 
(2) Financial Action Task Force (FATF) 40 
Recommendations on Money Laundering (ML) and 
9 Special Recommendations (SR) on Terrorist Fi-
nancing (TF). 
(3) The 1963 ICAO Convention on Offences 
and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board Air-
craft. 
(4) The 1970 ICAO Convention for the Sup-
pression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft. 
(5) The 1971 ICAO Convention for the Sup-
pression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Civil 
Aviation. 
(6) The 1973 United Nations Convention on 
the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against 
Internationally Protected Person, including Diplo-
matic Agents. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:37 Jul 07, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6067.IH
H6067
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(7) The 1979 United Nations International 
Convention Against the Taking of Hostages. 
(8) The 1988 ICAO Protocol for the Suppres-
sion of Unlawful Acts of Violence at Airports Serv-
ing International Civil Aviation, Supplementary to 
the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts 
Against the Safety of Civil Aviation. 
(9) The 1988 IMO Convention for the Suppres-
sion of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Mari-
time Navigation. 
(10) The 1988 IMO Protocol for the Suppres-
sion of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed 
Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf. 
(11) The 1991 ICAO Convention on the Mark-
ing of Plastic Explosives for the Purpose of Detec-
tion. 
(12) The 1997 United Nations International 
Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bomb-
ings. 
(13) The 1999 United Nations International 
Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of 
Terrorism. 
(14) The 2001 United Nations S/Res/1373 Cre-
ation of Counter Terrorism Committee (CTC). 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:37 Jul 07, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6067.IH
H6067
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(15) The 2005 United Nations S/Res/1624 Pro-
hibition of incitement to commit terrorist act or 
acts. 
(16) The 2010 ICAO Convention for the Sup-
pression of Unlawful Acts Relating to International 
Civil Aviation. 
SEC. 104. NOTIFICATIONS RELATING TO TRAVEL BY CUBAN 
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WITHIN OR TO THE 
UNITED STATES. 
(a) TRAVEL WITHIN UNITED STATES.—The Sec-
retary of State shall notify the appropriate congressional 
committees not less than 15 days prior to granting ap-
proval for travel by any Cuban official assigned to the 
Cuban Interests Section in Washington, DC or the Cuban 
United Nations Missions in New York, New York outside 
a 25-mile radius of the Cuban Interests Section in Wash-
ington, DC or the Cuban United Nations Missions in New 
York, New York, respectively. 
(b) TRAVEL TO THE UNITED STATES.—The Sec-
retary of State shall notify the appropriate congressional 
committees not less than 15 days prior to issuing a visa 
for travel of any Cuban Government official to the United 
States 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:37 Jul 07, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6067.IH
H6067
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(c) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—Each notification 
required under subsection (a) and (b) shall include the fol-
lowing: 
(1) The name and rank of the Cuban official 
for which the travel is approved. 
(2) The expected dates, destination, and pur-
pose of the travel. 
(3) A separate certification that the travel does 
not pose a threat to United States interests and pol-
icy priorities and the travel has been approved by 
the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 
the Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Se-
curity, and the head of any other relevant depart-
ment or agency. The certification may be provided in 
a classified annex to the notification if applicable. 
SEC. 105. PREVENTING OIL BENEFITS, LAND EXPROPRIA-
TION, AND TERRORISM EXPANSION. 
(a) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It shall be the policy 
of the United States to— 
(1) undertake the necessary measures to deny 
the Government of Cuba, the Cuban Communist 
Party, or any agent or instrumentality of either, the 
financial resources to engage in activities that 
threaten— 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:37 Jul 07, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00015
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6067.IH
H6067
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(A) United States national security, its in-
terests, and its allies; 
(B) Florida’s marine environment, includ-
ing the most extensive living coral reef system 
in North American waters and the third largest 
in the world; 
(C) the environment and natural resources 
of the submerged lands located off Cuba’s 
coast; and 
(D) to prolong the dictatorship that op-
presses the Cuban people; and 
(2) deter foreign investments that would en-
hance the ability of the Government of Cuba, or any 
agent or instrumentality thereof, to develop its pe-
troleum resources. 
(b) EXCLUSION FROM
THE UNITED STATES
OF 
ALIENS WHO CONTRIBUTE TO THE ABILITY OF CUBA TO 
DEVELOP
PETROLEUM
RESOURCES
LOCATED
OFF 
CUBA’S COAST.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Cuban Liberty and 
Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 
(22 U.S.C. 6021 et seq.) is amended by inserting 
after section 401 the following: 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:37 Jul 07, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00016
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6067.IH
H6067
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘SEC. 402. EXCLUSION FROM THE UNITED STATES OF 
ALIENS WHO CONTRIBUTE TO THE ABILITY 
OF CUBA TO DEVELOP PETROLEUM RE-
SOURCES LOCATED OFF CUBA’S COAST. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall 
deny a visa to, and the Secretary of Homeland Security 
shall exclude from the United States, any alien who the 
Secretary of State determines is a person who— 
‘‘(1) is an officer or principal of an entity, or 
a shareholder who owns a controlling interest in an 
entity, that, on or after the date of the enactment 
of the Western Hemisphere Security Cooperation 
Act of 2012, has made or makes an investment that 
equals or exceeds $1,000,000 (or any combination of 
investments that in the aggregate equals or exceeds 
$1,000,000 in any 12-month period), that contrib-
utes to the enhancement of the ability of the Govern-
ment of Cuba, or any agent or instrumentality there-
of, to develop petroleum resources of the submerged 
lands located off Cuba’s coast; or 
‘‘(2) is a spouse, minor child, or agent of a per-
son described in paragraph (1). 
‘‘(b) WAIVER.—The Secretary of State may waive the 
application of subsection (a) if the Secretary certifies and 
reports to the appropriate congressional committees, on a 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:37 Jul 07, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6067.IH
H6067
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
case-by-case basis, that the admission to the United States 
of a person described in subsection (a)— 
‘‘(1) is necessary for critical medical reasons or 
for purposes of litigation of an action under title III 
of this Act; or 
‘‘(2) is appropriate if the requirements of sec-
tions 204, 205, and 206 of this Act have been satis-
fied. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(1) AGENT
AND
INSTRUMENTALITY.—The 
terms ‘agent’ and ‘instrumentality’ shall include the 
Cuban Communist Party. 
‘‘(2) DEVELOP.—The term ‘develop’, with re-
spect to petroleum resources, means the exploration 
for, or the extraction, refining, or transportation by 
pipeline or other means of, petroleum resources. 
‘‘(3) INVESTMENT.—The term ‘investment’ 
means any of the following activities if such activity 
is undertaken pursuant to an agreement, or pursu-
ant to the exercise of rights under such an agree-
ment, that was or is entered into with the Govern-
ment of Cuba (or any agency or instrumentality 
thereof) or a nongovernmental entity in Cuba, on or 
after the date of the enactment of the Western 
Hemisphere Security Cooperation Act of 2012: 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:37 Jul 07, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00018
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6067.IH
H6067
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(A) The entry into a contract that in-
cludes responsibility for the development of pe-
troleum resources of the submerged lands lo-
cated off Cuba’s coast, or the entry into a con-
tract providing for the general supervision and 
guarantee of another person’s performance of 
such a contract. 
‘‘(B) The purchase of a share of owner-
ship, including an equity interest, in such devel-
opment. 
‘‘(C) The entry into a contract providing 
for the participation in royalties, earnings, or 
profits in such development, without regard to 
the form of the participation. 
‘‘(D) The entry into, performance, or fi-
nancing of a contract to sell or purchase goods, 
services, or technology related to such develop-
ment. 
‘‘(4) PETROLEUM RESOURCES.—The term ‘pe-
troleum resources’ includes petroleum and natural 
gas resources, petroleum by products, and liquified 
natural gas.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents for the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Soli-
darity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 is amended by in-
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:37 Jul 07, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00019
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6067.IH
H6067
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
serting after the item relating to section 401 the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘Sec. 402. Exclusion from the United States of aliens who contribute to the 
ability of Cuba to develop petroleum resources located off 
Cuba’s coast.’’. 
(3) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 
by this subsection shall apply to aliens seeking ad-
mission to the United States on or after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
(c) IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS AND PROHIBITION ON 
FACILITATION
OF DEVELOPMENT
OF CUBA’S PETRO-
LEUM RESOURCES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—If the President determines 
that a person has, on or after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, made an investment that equals or 
exceeds $1,000,000 (or any combination of invest-
ments that in the aggregate equals or exceeds 
$1,000,000 in any 12-month period) that contrib-
utes to the enhancement of the ability of the Govern-
ment of Cuba, or any agent or instrumentality there-
of, to develop petroleum resources of the submerged 
lands located off Cuba’s coast, or has made an in-
vestment of any amount of money that contributes 
to such an enhancement and has trafficked in con-
fiscated United States property, the President shall 
impose two or more of the following sanctions: 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:37 Jul 07, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00020
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6067.IH
H6067
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS