Syrian authorities have arrested Wassim Badi al-Assad, a relative of former President Bashar al-Assad, who is under U.S. sanctions for his alleged role in drug trafficking and support for loyalist forces. This was announced today by the Syrian Ministry of Interior.
The ministry did not specify when or where Wassim Badi al-Assad was apprehended. The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Wassim al-Assad in March 2023, stating at the time that he had publicly called for the formation of militias to support the regime and was a key figure in a regional drug trafficking network.
The Syrian civil war, which began in March 2011 with international intervention, has fragmented the country, devastated its economy, and created fertile ground for the production of captagon, an amphetamine-like stimulant. Militias, warlords, and the Assad government have transformed drug production from a small-scale, gang-led operation into a billion-dollar industry, both to evade sanctions and generate revenue.
