H.R. 7180, Countering Captagon and Narcotics Post-Assad Act

Bottom Line Up Front

The Countering Captagon and Narcotics Post-Assad Act updates the CAPTAGON Act to address the evolving threat of Captagon and methamphetamine production and trafficking in the Middle East following the fall of the Assad regime. The bill requires an interagency report on Captagon, methamphetamine, and other amphetamine-type stimulant production and trafficking networks, ensuring the United States has current intelligence and a coordinated strategy to disrupt these criminal networks linked to Iran-backed proxies and regional instability.

Click here to read the full legislative text and view the list of cosponsors.

Why It Matters

• Following the fall of the Assad regime, Captagon production has shifted to small-scale operations and spread into neighboring countries, while methamphetamine use is surging across the region. This bill ensures Congress and the executive branch have current, comprehensive intelligence on these evolving networks to effectively counter them.
• The bill requires coordinated reporting from the Department of Defense, State Department, Treasury Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Director of National Intelligence—creating a whole-of-government approach to disrupting narcotics networks that fund malign actors including Hezbollah and Iran-backed proxies.
• Captagon and methamphetamine trafficking represent critical security threats to U.S. allies and partners in the Middle East. These criminal networks generate billions of dollars in revenue that can be used to fund terrorism, destabilize governments, and undermine U.S. interests in the region.
• By updating the CAPTAGON Act with timely provisions addressing the post-Assad landscape, this legislation demonstrates Congress’s commitment to adapting U.S. strategy to meet threats as they evolve on the ground, rather than relying on outdated assessments of regional narcotics networks.

Congressional Press Releases

Read statements from members of Congress who are supporting this legislation:

• → Rep. French Hill (R-AR)