Wassim Assad

Wassim Assad is a cousin of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, recently detained by Syrian authorities on charges of drug trafficking and other criminal activities. He had previously been sanctioned by the European Union and the United States for his involvement in the illegal drug trade, particularly the trafficking of Captagon and amphetamines. During the regime of Bashar Assad, he commanded a paramilitary unit in the Syrian army and openly called for the formation of sectarian militias to support the regime.