'Team America' -- The XXX Puppetmaster ... EXPOSED

He's the unsung hero who helped "Team America: World Police" save the motherf**king day back in 2004 ... in fact, he pulled the strings ... and now the lead puppeteer tells TMZ a sequel isn't out of the question.

TMZ spoke with Scott Land -- who controlled everyone from Kim Jong-il to Spottswoode ... he also had a major hand in the legendary puppet sex scene.

Land was dishing some cool stories from the set when we ran into him outside Bootsy Bellows nightclub this weekend ... but it's clear, dude has moved on to even more perverted puppets (including one with a propensity for public nudity).