IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 836 

Urging the United States Government to enhance the Middle East region’s 

capacity to dismantle and disrupt the illicit production and trafficking 

of the amphetamine-type stimulant also known as captagon, including 

the production of precursor chemicals. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 1, 2023 

Mr. MOSKOWITZ (for himself and Mr. MILLS) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Urging the United States Government to enhance the Middle 

East region’s capacity to dismantle and disrupt the illicit 

production and trafficking of the amphetamine-type stimulant also known as captagon, including the production 

of precursor chemicals. 

Whereas the market for the amphetamine-type stimulant 

‘‘captagon’’ has grown into an industrial-scale illicit trade 

in the Mediterranean-Gulf zone over the last 5 years; 

Whereas elements of the Assad regime are key drivers of illicit trafficking in captagon, with ministerial-level complicity in production and smuggling, empowering a broad 

range of criminal networks, militant groups, mafia syndicates, and autocratic governments; 


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•HRES 836 IH 

Whereas the illicit captagon trade has provided alternative 

revenue sources for malign actors, such as the Assad regime, Hezbollah, and Iran-aligned militias; 

Whereas Hamas terrorists who carried out a surprise attack 

in Israel on October 7th, 2023, were reported to be under 

the influence of captagon; 

Whereas captagon pills were recovered from pockets of 

Hamas terrorists who were killed by Israeli Defense 

Forces; 

Whereas the illicit production and trafficking of captagon is 

a key source of revenue for the Assad regime and its 

enablers, estimated to be worth over $10,000,000,000; 

Whereas transit and destination countries of captagon currently struggle with interdiction efforts; 

Whereas illicit captagon trafficking nodes and production 

hubs in Syria and Lebanon threaten border security of 

United States partners and allies; 

Whereas United States regional partners such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Iraq are seizing more captagon pills in 

recent years; 

Whereas the Middle East region requires greater interregional and intraregional coordination to counter the 

proliferation of captagon; 

Whereas there is an absence of any formal or effective regional mechanism or platform to facilitate intelligence 

sharing or otherwise enable collaboration to counter, dismantle, and disrupt the illicit captagon trade; and 

Whereas the United States should help foster increased regional cooperation to counter narcotics measures, particularly the illicit captagon trade: Now, therefore, be it 


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•HRES 836 IH 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that— 

3 (1) the illicit production and trafficking of 

4 captagon is a rapidly growing problem in the Middle 

5 East, with direct involvement of the Assad regime, 

6 and Hezbollah; 

7 (2) the United States shall openly condemn the 

8 use of captagon to enhance militant capabilities in 

9 the slaughter 1,400 innocent men, women, children, 

10 and elderly in Israel on October 7th, 2023; 

11 (3) the United States should seek to improve 

12 assistance and training to detect, deter, and disrupt 

13 Hezbollah and Fourth Division-facilitated captagon 

14 smuggling operations, as well as broader counter15 narcotics efforts; 

16 (4) the United States should build on its report 

17 to Congress on a ‘‘Written Strategy to Disrupt and 

18 Dismantle Narcotics Production and Trafficking and 

19 Affiliated Networks Linked to the Regime of Bashar 

20 al-Assad in Syria Sec. 1238(c) of the National De21 fense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, P.L. 

22 117–263’’, and establish an interagency counter23 captagon task force, encouraging regional partners 

24 to undertake cooperative law enforcement measures 

25 that enhance interdiction efforts against illicit 


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•HRES 836 IH 

1 captagon trafficking through informational ex2 change, forensic profiling, shared intelligence on 

3 captagon chemical laboratory analyses, port control 

4 unit capacity development, and monitoring precursor 

5 supply flows; 

6 (5) the United States should seek to establish 

7 an early warning system for seized captagon shared 

8 amongst key regional partners for improved identi9 fication and reporting; and 

10 (6) the United States should highlight the 

11 growing threat posed by the illicit captagon trade to 

12 include the direct involvement of the Assad regime 

13 and Iran-backed proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah, 

14 in international fora, and encourage broader inter15 national coordination, support for afflicted countries, 

16 and accountability for implicated actors. 

Æ 


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