Money, spies and Hezbollah: How Yemen's Houthis built smuggling network across narrow waterway
What started as isolated smuggling operations by Yemen's Houthi rebels has turned into a network that stretches through Africa, senior Yemeni and regional security officials told The National as they revealed how the militants carefully built their routes. Over the past decade, the Iran -backed group has slowly transformed from a local armed faction into a wider force, threatening neighbouring…
In the past decade, Yemen's Houthi rebels have evolved from a local armed faction into a broader force, with a strong relationship with Iran's main regional proxy, Hezbollah. This bond has enabled the Houthis to extend their reach across Africa, particularly in the Horn of Africa, by building a sophisticated smuggling network. The network spans across the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Red Sea, connecting the Yemeni coast, including Hodeidah, to various African ports like Somalia and Sudan.
The Houthi movement now boasts an estimated troop strength of 350,000, including child soldiers, forced-conscript African refugees, and foreign mercenaries. Their primary source of military and logistical needs is through cross-border smuggling and maritime supply routes. The Yemeni coast, particularly the western coast, has been crucial for the group's activities since the Houthi takeover of Sanaa in 2014.
Hezbollah has played a significant role in teaching the Houthis how to cultivate relationships with smugglers, intermediaries, and organized crime networks. They do this primarily through money and exchanging services, such as obtaining weapons and training. Both Hezbollah and the Houthis have established a presence in Iraq, with the Houthis opening an office in Baghdad in 2024, and operating another in Najaf.
The Houthi-Iraqi militia alliance has claimed responsibility for six joint operations against Israel in 2024. However, with the Yemeni war slowing down, the group shifted its focus towards expanding its network and building local connections in the Horn of Africa. The region's vulnerability, coupled with smuggling, organized crime, piracy, and trafficking, provides fertile ground for establishing networks of intermediaries and logistical facilities.
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