Today, Wednesday, April 24, US President Joe Biden signed the “Illicit Captagon Trafficking Suppression Act” (Captagon 2) bill, part of an expedited legislative package that was approved.
A statement on the White House website announced that the “H.R. 815” Act had been designated as an emergency requirement (for approval).
“H.R. 815” includes in Section “D”, the “Peace Through Strength in the 21st Century,” law and under this title, in Section “P”, comes the “Illicit Captagon Trafficking Suppression Act“, along with Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act, and the Iranian Leaders Accountability Act.
Mohammed Ghanem, the policy planning official at the American Coalition for Syria (ACS), mentioned on “X” (formerly Twitter) that President Biden had just inked the bill with the presidential signature, a step that has put “Captagon 2” into effect, enforceable, and obligatory.
French Hill, a congressman from the Republican Party, the bill’s sponsor in the House of Representatives, stated on “X“, that it is crucial to take further steps to disrupt and dismantle the production and trafficking of Captagon, as it generates billions of dollars of illicit funding for the Assad regime, and destroys families in the region.
He added, “With my bill now signed into law, those directly involved in the proliferation of this dangerous drug will be targeted and punished.”
This move came less than 24 hours after the US Senate passed the bill with the support of 79 votes, with only 18 dissenting.
Ghanem noted then that the bill was on its way to the President’s desk, to be signed very soon, to become a binding and enforceable law thereafter.
The bill rapidly progressed through the legislative procedures, making its way to the US President for signing, according to Congress records, as it was passed by the House of Representatives as part of an urgent package on April 20.
The bill gained the support of 360 members from both parties (Democrats and Republicans) in the House of Representatives, against 58 dissenters.
Earlier on April 18, the American Coalition for Syria had announced efforts to expedite the passage of the bill after adding it to the previously considered urgent legislative package by Congress.
After the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the bill on April 16, granting the US government extended powers to penalize the Syrian regime and its allies benefiting from illegal financing through Captagon trade, it was approved by a vote from both parties (Republican and Democratic), with a majority of 410 in favor and only 13 dissenting.
This legislation stipulates the issuance of new, direct sanctions against the “perpetrators” who manufacture and illegally trade Captagon, according to a statement released on April 16 by Republican congressman French Hill, the bill’s sponsor in the House of Representatives.
In his statement, French Hill said, “The required strategy that the US government has initiated to fight Assad’s production and smuggling of Captagon is still in its early stages, and we need new sanctions that directly target the individuals and networks associated with the Captagon trade,” emphasizing the importance of passing the bill he introduced, which would impose new sanctions related to illicit trafficking of Captagon in Syria, linked to Bashar al-Assad’s regime, according to the statement.