The case:

Kassis was extradited from Nairobi in February following an Interpol warrant requested by the U.S. for his role in narco-terrorism and money laundering.

Court documents show he negotiated a daring deal: hundreds of kilos of cocaine hidden in fruit containers shipped from Colombia to Syria’s Latakia port, in exchange for weapons from former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s military stockpiles.

This case exposes a global network of criminals operating across four continents, involving South American drug lords, Middle Eastern smugglers, and collapsing regimes.

Details:

Kassis reportedly acted on behalf of Syria’s former regime, meeting in Kenya with arms dealers tied to Colombia’s ELN rebel group. The shipment—allegedly containing 500 kg of cocaine—was to be sent to Latakia disguised as fruit cargo.

In return, Assad-era weapons were to be handed to one of Latin America’s most dangerous criminal organizations, with millions laundered through global channels.

Kassis is one of three men charged with conspiring to support a terrorist organization—Colombia’s ELN—and with narco-terror activities. He appeared in court Friday in Virginia.

The case also ties him to a Lebanese-based money laundering ring reportedly working with both the ELN and Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel.

Court documents reveal that last spring, Kassis met two suspects—Elirio Rafael Quintero and Wissam Najib Khirfan. Through Syrian regime contacts, Kassis secured the weapons in exchange for cocaine. Under the plan, he would distribute the drugs in the Middle East, while Quintero and Khirfan handled laundering and payments.

Why it matters:

The case raises major security alarms, especially regarding Assad's leftover weapons falling into the hands of international criminals after his downfall in December. It also reinforces growing concerns about Hezbollah’s role in global drug and arms trafficking.