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 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 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 (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.

Summary: This resolution states that the illicit production of and trafficking of captagon, an amphetamine-type stimulant, is a growing problem in the Middle East, and that the United States should broaden its counternarcotics efforts in the region, including efforts targeting captagon. The resolution also states the United States should condemn any use of captagon to enhance militant capabilities during the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel.