Press release
Syrian Opposition Coalition
Department of Media and Communications
April 26, 2024
The Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) underscores the grave threat posed by the proliferation of the drug industry and its trafficking in Syria, extending its harmful consequences to societies across the region and the world. This illicit trade fuels crime and serves as a primary source of financing for the Assad regime, enabling it to procure lethal weapons and ammunition used against innocent civilians. The international community’s commitment to combating drug trafficking and its spread is a Syrian, regional, and global imperative. All nations must adopt a resolute and swift policy to counter this perilous threat and its relentless expansion. In this regard, the SOC highlights the significance of the recent approval of the Captagon 2 Act by the United States House of Representatives and Senate.
The signing of the bill into law by the US president reinforces the previous Captagon 1 Act and addresses certain loopholes within it. Importantly, it authorizes the imposition of new sanctions on the Assad regime, including measures to disrupt and dismantle drug networks associated with the regime. The SOC underscores the necessity of leveraging all available means to combat the financial resources sustaining the Assad regime and its affiliated militias, thereby diminishing their capacity to perpetrate further crimes and atrocities against the Syrian people.
On this occasion, the SOC commends the tireless efforts of Syrian American organizations and the Syrian community in the United States, which contribute significantly to advancing justice in Syria. The SOC hopes that the American government will allocate the requisite resources to enforce this act as an effective deterrent, ensuring that the Assad regime cannot circumvent its provisions through illegal means.
The SOC urges nations worldwide to collaborate across all levels to achieve justice in Syria and confront the threat of Captagon and other illicit drugs. This entails imposing additional sanctions on the Assad regime, which jeopardizes international peace and security by manufacturing and exporting drugs from areas under its control in Syria to countries worldwide. The SOC reiterates that the resolution of crises in Syria and the broader region hinges on the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolutions 2118 (2013) and 2254 (2015). It emphasizes the Syrian people’s aspirations for a state governed by law, freedom, and democracy, capable of positively engaging in regional crises and promoting regional and international security, stability, and peace.
