Interagency strategy to disrupt and dismantle narcotics production and trafficking and affiliated networks linked to the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria

(a)

Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that—(1)the Captagon trade linked to the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria is a transnational security threat; and(2)the United States should develop and implement an interagency strategy to deny, degrade, and dismantle Assad-linked narcotics production and trafficking networks.(b)

Report and strategy required

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Director of National Intelligence, and the heads of other appropriate Federal agencies shall provide a written strategy to the appropriate congressional committees to disrupt and dismantle narcotics production and trafficking and affiliated networks linked to the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. The strategy shall include the following elements:(1)A strategy to target, disrupt, and degrade networks that directly and indirectly support the narcotics infrastructure of the Assad regime, particularly through diplomatic and intelligence support to law enforcement investigations and to build counter-narcotics capacity to partner countries through assistance and training to law enforcement services in countries, other than Syria, that are receiving or transiting large quantities of Captagon.(2)The use of statutory authorities, including the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019 (22 U.S.C. 8791 note), the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (21 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.), the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report under section 489 of the Foreign Assistance Act (22 U.S.C. 2291a), and associated actions to target individuals and entities directly or indirectly associated with the narcotics infrastructure of the Assad regime. (3)The use global diplomatic engagements associated with the economic pressure campaign against the Assad regime to target its narcotics infrastructure.(4)Leveraging multilateral institutions and cooperation with international partners to disrupt the narcotics infrastructure of the Assad regime.(5)Mobilizing a public communications campaign to increase awareness of the extent of the connection of the Assad regime to illicit narcotics trade.(6)A description of the countries receiving or transiting large shipments of Captagon and an assessment of the counter-narcotics capacity of those countries to interdict or disrupt the smuggling of Captagon, including an assessment of current United States assistance and training programs to build such capacity in those countries.(c)

Form of report

The report required under subsection (b) shall be submitted in an unclassified form, but may contain a classified annex.(d)

Appropriate congressional committees

In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means—(1)the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, the Committee on Appropriations, and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate; and(2)the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Financial Services, the Committee on Appropriations, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives.