H. R. 6265
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.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. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Countering Assad’s Proliferation Trafficking And Garnering Of Narcotics Act” or the “CAPTAGON Act”.SEC. 2. 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 to the appropriate congressional committees a written strategy to disrupt and dismantle narcotics production and trafficking and affiliated networks linked to the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. Such strategy shall include each of the following:
(1) A strategy to target, disrupt, and degrade networks that directly or 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) Information relating to 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 (popularly referred to as the “Kingpin Act”), section 489 of the Foreign Assistance Act (relating to the international narcotics control strategy report), and associated actions to target individuals and entities directly or indirectly associated with the narcotics infrastructure of the Assad regime.
(3) Information relating to the use of global diplomatic engagements associated with the economic pressure campaign against the Assad regime to target its narcotics infrastructure.
(4) A strategy for leveraging multilateral institutions and cooperation with international partners to disrupt the narcotics infrastructure of the Assad regime.
(5) A strategy for 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 such 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 such 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 Affairs, the Committee on Financial Services, the Committee on Appropriations, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives; and
(2) 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.
