Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Countering Captagon and Narcotics Post-Assad Act”.
Countering Captagon and Narcotics Post-Assad Act
A BILL
To amend the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 to modify the interagency strategy to disrupt and dismantle narcotics production and trafficking and affiliated networks in the Middle East, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Modifications to interagency strategy
Section 1238 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 is amended as follows:
In subsection (a), by amending paragraphs (1) and (2) to read as follows:
“(1) shifting Captagon, methamphetamine, and amphetamine production and trafficking patterns in the Middle East following the fall of the Assad regime, particularly in Iraq, could pose a significant threat to regional stability and United States interests, requiring urgent and coordinated military and law enforcement action to disrupt these networks and secure vulnerable borders; and
“(2) Captagon enables instability in the Middle East region and is destabilizing for Syria.”
In subsection (c)—
in paragraph (1)—
by striking “this Act” and inserting “the Countering Captagon and Narcotics Post-Assad Act”;
by striking “a written strategy” and inserting “an unclassified, written strategy”; and
by striking “linked to the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria” and inserting “in the Middle East”; and
by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
“(2) The strategy required under paragraph (1) shall include an assessment of the evolving patterns of Captagon, methamphetamine, and other amphetamine-type stimulant production and trafficking in the area of responsibility of United States Central Command, including—
“(A) the identification of the countries that are receiving or transiting large shipments of Captagon, methamphetamine, and other amphetamine-type stimulants;
“(B) an assessment of the counter-narcotics capacity of such countries to interdict or disrupt the smuggling, trafficking, and production of Captagon, methamphetamine, and other amphetamine-type stimulants;
“(C) an assessment of current United States assistance and training programs to build such capacity in such countries;
“(D) an assessment of cooperation with international partners to disrupt narcotics infrastructure in the Middle East; and
“(E) recommendations to further disrupt and dismantle Captagon, methamphetamine, and amphetamine-type stimulant production and trafficking networks, including those linked to the former regime of Bashar al-Assad, Hezbollah, and Iran-backed proxies.”