I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6265 

To require a strategy by the United States Government to disrupt and 

dismantle the Captagon trade and narcotics networks of Bashar alAssad in Syria. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 14, 2021 

Mr. HILL (for himself and Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 

Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Intelligence (Permanent 

Select), Armed Services, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 

provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To require a strategy by the United States Government 

to disrupt and dismantle the Captagon trade and narcotics networks of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Countering Assad’s 

5 Proliferation Trafficking And Garnering Of Narcotics 

6 Act’’ or the ‘‘CAPTAGON Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. INTERAGENCY STRATEGY TO DISRUPT AND DIS2 MANTLE NARCOTICS PRODUCTION AND 

3 TRAFFICKING AND AFFILIATED NETWORKS 

4 LINKED TO THE REGIME OF BASHAR AL5 ASSAD IN SYRIA. 

6 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con7 gress that— 

8 (1) the Captagon trade linked to the regime of 

9 Bashar al-Assad in Syria is a transnational security 

10 threat; and 

11 (2) the United States should develop and imple12 ment an interagency strategy to deny, degrade, and 

13 dismantle Assad-linked narcotics production and 

14 trafficking networks. 

15 (b) REPORT AND STRATEGY REQUIRED.—Not later 

16 than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

17 the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, the Sec18 retary of the Treasury, the Administrator of the Drug En19 forcement Administration, the Director of National Intel20 ligence, and the heads of other appropriate Federal agen21 cies shall provide to the appropriate congressional commit22 tees a written strategy to disrupt and dismantle narcotics 

23 production and trafficking and affiliated networks linked 

24 to the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. Such strategy 

25 shall include each of the following: 


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1 (1) A strategy to target, disrupt, and degrade 

2 networks that directly or indirectly support the nar3 cotics infrastructure of the Assad regime, particu4 larly through diplomatic and intelligence support to 

5 law enforcement investigations and to build counter6 narcotics capacity to partner countries through as7 sistance and training to law enforcement services in 

8 countries, other than Syria, that are receiving or 

9 transiting large quantities of Captagon. 

10 (2) Information relating to the use of statutory 

11 authorities, including the Caesar Syria Civilian Pro12 tection Act of 2019 (22 U.S.C. 8791 note), the For13 eign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (popularly 

14 referred to as the ‘‘Kingpin Act’’), section 489 of the 

15 Foreign Assistance Act (relating to the international 

16 narcotics control strategy report), and associated ac17 tions to target individuals and entities directly or in18 directly associated with the narcotics infrastructure 

19 of the Assad regime. 

20 (3) Information relating to the use of global 

21 diplomatic engagements associated with the eco22 nomic pressure campaign against the Assad regime 

23 to target its narcotics infrastructure. 

24 (4) A strategy for leveraging multilateral insti25 tutions and cooperation with international partners 


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1 to disrupt the narcotics infrastructure of the Assad 

2 regime. 

3 (5) A strategy for mobilizing a public commu4 nications campaign to increase awareness of the ex5 tent of the connection of the Assad regime to illicit 

6 narcotics trade. 

7 (6) A description of the countries receiving or 

8 transiting large shipments of Captagon, and an as9 sessment of the counter-narcotics capacity of such 

10 countries to interdict or disrupt the smuggling of 

11 Captagon, including an assessment of current 

12 United States assistance and training programs to 

13 build such capacity in such countries. 

14 (c) FORM OF REPORT.—The report required under 

15 subsection (b) shall be submitted in an unclassified form, 

16 but may contain a classified annex. 

17 (d) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.— 

18 In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com19 mittees’’ means— 

20 (1) the Committee on Armed Services, the 

21 Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee on For22 eign Affairs, the Committee on Financial Services, 

23 the Committee on Appropriations, and the Perma24 nent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House 

25 of Representatives; and 


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1 (2) the Committee on Armed Services, the 

2 Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee on For3 eign Relations, the Committee on Banking, Housing, 

4 and Urban Affairs, the Committee on Appropria5 tions, and the Select Committee on Intelligence of 

6 the Senate. 

Æ 


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