Ali Mohamed Kharroubi (Arabic: ùÃÂààÃÂàï îñÃÂèÃÂ, born on July 8, 1970) is a Lebanese national identified on January 26, 2011 by the United States Department of the Treasury as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker (SDNT) under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act.
Kharroubi who held a Lebanese passport, has been linked to international drug trafficking and money laundering operations. He is associated with the network led by Ayman Joumaa, a prominent Lebanese-Colombian drug trafficker and money launderer. Jomaa's organization, which has ties with Hezbollah, is known for its extensive narcotics distribution and complex financial schemes to launder drug proceeds. This is based on a United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigation named Project Cassandra to undercut Hezbollah's funding from illicit drug sources in South America. Kharroubi is also the owner of Ellissa Holding, which controls nine companies in Lebanon, Benin, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the company is associated with Ellissa Group SA, involved in used car sales in Africa. His network has estimately laundered up to $200 million per month through various channels.
On January 26, 2011, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Kharroubi and companies he controls, as SDNT, citing his involvement in Joumaa's network. This designation prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with him and freezes any assets he may have under U.S. jurisdiction.