Hill’s bipartisan bill goes after Syrian regime’s complicity in Captagon

U.S. Rep. French Hill (R-AR) on July 17 sponsored a bipartisan bill that would issue new American sanctions against those illegally producing and trafficking fenethylline, commonly known by the trademark name Captagon, a synthetic amphetamine-type stimulant.

Captagon has been clandestinely produced in southern Europe and trafficked through Turkey to the consumer markets on the Arabian Peninsula and is one of the most popular drugs of abuse among the young affluent populations of the Middle East, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

“Assad is a transnational drug kingpin whose Captagon drug is devastating families in the region and fueling his terror partnership with Iran and Hezbollah with billions in illegal funding,” said Rep. Hill, referring to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Elements of the Syrian government are key drivers of illicit trafficking in Captagon, with ministerial-level complicity in production and smuggling, using other armed groups such as Hezbollah for technical and logistical support in Captagon production and trafficking, according to the text of the Illicit Captagon Trafficking Suppression Act of 2023, H.R. 4681, which Rep. Hill introduced alongside original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL). 

“To ensure stability in the region, the U.S. government must continue to work with our allies and partners and put pressure on stopping the proliferation of this dangerous drug,” Rep. Hill said.

If enacted, H.R. 4681 also states that Congress would find that the industrial scale production of Captagon in territories held by the Assad regime in Syria are becoming more sophisticated and pose a severe challenge to regional and international security.

“Now that the Biden administration has outlined their strategy to combat the illegal revenue of Captagon mandated by my [previous] bill, the CAPTAGON Act, it is critical that the U.S. government continue to act decisively to disrupt and dismantle the production and trafficking of Captagon,” Rep. Hill said, adding that H.R. 4681 “will further press the Assad regime by imposing new sanctions to directly target individuals and networks associated with the production and trafficking of this drug.”

Under H.R. 4681, sanctions would be imposed by the U.S. president on anyone deemed to be engaged in activities or transactions that have materially contributed to the illicit production and international illicit proliferation of Captagon; or who knowingly received any property or interest in property that the foreign person knows is derived from proceeds of activities or transactions related to Captagon, according to the bill’s text. 

“Not only will new sanctions help reduce the illegal sale of Captagon from making its way to the United States, but it will also further weaken the Assad regime and the terrorist organizations they fund,” Rep. Moskowitz said.