The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that the United States imposed new sanctions on Tuesday against six individuals, including two relatives of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, for their role in the production and export of "captagon."
The sanctions targeted six individuals, including Samer Kamel Assad and Waseem Badi Assad, Assad's cousins. According to the statement, Samer Kamel Assad manages important facilities for the production of captagon in the coastal province of Latakia, controlled by the regime, in coordination with the Fourth Division and some Hezbollah partners. It also noted that his cousin, Waseem Badi Assad, is also a key figure in the regional drug trafficking network.
Among those sanctioned were Syrian businessman Khaled Qaddour, who has a close friendship with Maher Assad, the brother of the Syrian regime's president, and Imad Abu Zreeq, who plays an important role in the production and smuggling of captagon in southern Syria.
Additionally, the Treasury added Lebanese individual Noah Zaiter, who has been subject to dozens of arrest warrants in Lebanon, and Hassan Daqo, who was arrested in Lebanon in 2021 on charges of smuggling captagon to the Gulf region, to its blacklist.
In a related context, Andrea Gacki, Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control, commented, "Syria has become a global leader in captagon production," noting that most of the captagon produced in Syria is smuggled through Lebanon. She added, "We will hold accountable, along with our allies, those who support the Assad regime with illicit drug revenues and other financial means that enable the regime to continue its oppression of the Syrian people."
