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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 836 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

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;
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
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) the illicit production and trafficking of captagon is a 
        rapidly growing problem in the Middle East, with direct 
        involvement of the Assad regime, and Hezbollah;
            (2) the United States shall openly condemn the use of 
        captagon to enhance militant capabilities in the slaughter 
        1,400 innocent men, women, children, and elderly in Israel on 
        October 7th, 2023;
            (3) the United States should seek to improve assistance and 
        training to detect, deter, and disrupt Hezbollah and Fourth 
        Division-facilitated captagon smuggling operations, as well as 
        broader counternarcotics efforts;
            (4) the United States should build on its report to 
        Congress on a ``Written Strategy to Disrupt and Dismantle 
        Narcotics Production and Trafficking and Affiliated Networks 
        Linked to the Regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria Sec. 1238(c) 
        of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, 
        P.L. 117-263'', and establish an interagency counter-captagon 
        task force, encouraging regional partners to undertake 
        cooperative law enforcement measures that enhance interdiction 
        efforts against illicit captagon trafficking through 
        informational exchange, forensic profiling, shared intelligence 
        on captagon chemical laboratory analyses, port control unit 
        capacity development, and monitoring precursor supply flows;
            (5) the United States should seek to establish an early 
        warning system for seized captagon shared amongst key regional 
        partners for improved identification and reporting; and
            (6) the United States should highlight the growing threat 
        posed by the illicit captagon trade to include the direct 
        involvement of the Assad regime and Iran-backed proxies like 
        Hamas and Hezbollah, in international fora, and encourage 
        broader international coordination, support for afflicted 
        countries, and accountability for implicated actors.
                                 <all>
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