I spoke with Asharq News this week about Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Tuesday visit to the #WhiteHouse. The meeting, which comes as President #Trump approves F-35 sales to #SaudiArabia, was the first visit by the prince in 7 years.

I sat down with Alaraby News to discuss the recent #UNSC Resolution endorsing US President Trump’s Gaza peace plan, which passed with abstentions from #China and #Russia.

Major drug haul seized by narcotics branch in Badia region Syria’s Narcotics Directorate executed a precise security operation in the Badia region, resulting in the confiscation of large and varied amounts of illicit

#Syrian officials conducted a drug raid in the #Badia region this week that resulted in seizures of over 246,000 #captagon pills, along with 105 kilograms of marijuana and other illicit substances. The narcotics were reportedly manufactured according to legal procedures.

يصوّت مجلس الأمن الدولي الاثنين على مشروع قرار أميركي يدعم خطة الرئيس دونالد ترامب للسلام في غزة، وخصوصا في ما... تخدم إسرائيل وليست حلًّا جذريًّا.. خبيرة تكشف عن أهداف الخطة الأميركية في غزة| #الثالثة_والعشرون

I spoke with Al Ghad TV this week about the recently #UNSC-endorsed US plan for the reconstruction of #Gaza.

Watch the full interview here:

In one of #Lebanon’s highest profile drug arrests, kingpin Nouh Zaiter was apprehended by the Lebanese Army during a 5 a.m. raid this week. Zaiter led a drug clan that produced and trafficked #captagon, and frequently clashed with Lebanese forces.

Captagon's new hub in Sudan Podcast Episode · Arab Digest podcasts · 11/20/2025 · 24m

I sat down with William Law this week on the Arab Digest podcast to talk about a burgeoning hub of #captagon production and trafficking, #Sudan.

#China is hosting Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani in a bid to strengthen ties with the new government. The visit demonstrates al-Shara’s goal of maintaining the country’s previous relationship with China, even following #Assad’s ousting.

US may have discussions with Maduro as aircraft carrier arrives in Caribbean, Trump says President Donald Trump says the U.S. “may be having some discussions” with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

President Trump has announced that there may be discussions between the country and #Venezuela, setting the scene for a potential off-ramp from the rapidly escalating situation. “Operation Southern Spear” marks the largest buildup of US forces in the region in decades.

#Hezbollah has reportedly been using a “stablecoin”, #Tether, to finance its operations in recent years. The reports come from a US Treasury delegation to #Lebanon, who urged the Lebanese government to crack down on illicit usage of the #cryptocurrency.

Trump says he will approve sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia US president signals major arms deal before Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to the White House.

President #Trump announced this week that he will approve the sale of F-35 fighter jets to #SaudiArabia. The approval comes just one day before Trump meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, where he plans push his #AbrahamAccords to Saudi Arabia.

Israel’s occupation of southern Syria persists, nearly a year on More than 11 months on, Israel’s occupation of parts of Syria’s southwestern Quneitra province seemingly has no end in sight. 

I was interviewed by SyriaDirect about the Israeli encroachment in #Quneitra in southwestern #Syria. After the fall of the #Assad regime in 2024, #Israel occupied the area, which was a demilitarized zone, and established 6 military bases.

Why Regime Change Would Fail to Slow Venezuelan Drug Flows - New Lines Institute As the possibility of military escalation – or even attempted regime change – by the United States in Venezuela grows stronger, many questions about the South American country’s future remain…

With these considerations in mind, it is vital that the US reconsider its warpath towards Venezuela, and instead focus on regional collaboration. Furthermore, the US must curb demand domestically if it seeks to limit regional corruption and trafficking. (5/5)

newlinesinstitute.org/state-resili...

A power vacuum left by an ousted Maduro would almost certainly lead to a clash of competing factions, over both control of the country and the trafficking infrastructure. It would likely enable foreign cartels and insurgency groups to gain a position of power in the country. (4/5)

CDS, a name given by regional experts, is a collection of corrupt government officials who operate under a patronage system. President Maduro, in order to “coup-proof” his regime, has made himself indispensable to these networks. His military leadership benefit deeply from the CDS network. (3/5)

The Trump administration inches towards military intervention in the country. The administration has already declared that the country is in “armed conflict” with some cartel groups in the country, and claimed that ground strikes on the groups were inevitable. (2/5)

Things are heating up in Venezuela, all in the name of counternarcotics. But will escalation reduce criminality in #Venezuela?

In my latest with Rafaella Lipschitz, Will Brundage, & Robert Kremzner, we warn that regime change in #Venezuela would have no effect on the illicit landscape.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. Captagon’s shifting geopolitics: How an illicit regional trade is evolving after Assad

I spoke on an excellent panel yesterday with the Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends (XCEPT) research programme about the future of the #captagon trade in the Middle East and beyond, along with Ian Larson, Nicholas Krohley, and Mohanad Hage Ali.

Watch the full discussion here:

I sat down with Asharq news to talk about the recent meeting between Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and President Trump. The meeting has already had a great effect on relations, and will likely have greater ripple effects across the region over the coming months.

youtu.be/3GyO4dk5nZ4?...

Syria joins US-led coalition against Islamic State group - ABC listen Ahmed Al-Sharaa has become the first Syrian leader ever welcomed to the White House, where he's held landmark talks with US President Donald Trump on rebuilding ties with the US, and cooperating in the...

I spoke with Sally Sara for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) about Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s meeting with President Trump earlier this week. The meeting, which was the first of its kind, marks a new era for US-#Syria relations.

Listen to the full interview here:

Following the Pakistani military’s raids on TTP facilities at the beginning of the week, an affiliate of the group, JuA, carried out a deadly terrorist attack in Islamabad, which killed 12 people and injured 20 more. TTP has denied any connection to the attack.

The #Houthi rebels have indicated that their bombing campaign against #Israel-linked ships in the #RedSea has tentatively come to an end, though they stated the strikes will resume if the shaky #Hamas-Israel ceasefire is abandoned.

Tensions between #Pakistan and the #Taliban are increasingly rapidly, with recent raids by the Pakistani military on a Pakistani offshoot of the Taliban, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (#TTP), claiming the lives of 20 members of TTP.

Hungarian PM Viktor #Orban met with President #Trump at the #WhiteHouse this week, seeking permission to purchase #oil from #Russia. The two agreed that #Hungary would be exempt from oil-specific sanctions, though they disagreed on the length of exemption.

The Kingdom of #SaudiArabia's "war on drugs" has hit an unprecedented level of aggressiveness, with more than two-thirds of the country's 320 executions this year coming from drug smuggling related crimes.

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/w...

‎SyriaNow - سوريا الآن‎ on Instagram‎: "⁨ ⁨ ما وراء الاندفاعة الأمريكية تجاه سوريا؟ 🎙️كارولين روز تشرح لسوريا الآن سرّ التحوّل 🕵️‍♀️⁩⁩"‎ 卡罗琳罗斯指出，美国认为叙利亚对地区稳定至关重要，尤其是在叙利亚总统阿萨德政权倒台后。卡罗琳罗斯认为，美国可以通过支持叙利亚新政府来实现中东和平。

I spoke with SyriaNow to dissect the burgeoning relationship between President Donald Trump and #Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. President Trump has made a point of developing a strong diplomatic relationship with the country.

I spoke with RFI about the reinvention of the #captagon trade since the fall of the #Assad regime in #Syria. The country remains a hub of captagon production and trafficking, in spite of the government’s increasing hostility towards domestic narcotics networks.

www.rfi.fr/fr/moyen-ori...

In this special episode of Crime Beat Conversations, Rafaella Lipschitz sat down with Stefano Ritondale, Chief Intelligence Officer of Artorias, to discuss t... Crime Beat Conversations: The Militarization of Mexican Cartels, featuring Stefano Ritondale

Host Rafaella Lipschitz talks militarization of Mexican cartels with guest Stefano Ritondale on the latest episode of Crime Beat Conversations, part of the New Lines Institute Crime-Conflict portfolio with fresh insights.

Afghanistan: Opium cultivation drops sharply, but regional trafficking rises Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan has fallen by 20 per cent compared to last year, continuing a dramatic decline since the introduction of a nationwide ban under the Taliban in 2022 – but…

The #UNODC is reporting that cultivation of #opium poppy is down by nearly 20% this year in #Afghanistan. The group is calling for investments in alternative livelihoods, as drug networks are turning to synthetic drugs.

news.un.org/en/story/202...

Suspect arrested in Lattakia with more than 140,000 Captagon pills - Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) Anti-Narcotics units in Lattakia have arrested a man found in possession of more than 140,000 Captagon pills, the Interior Ministry said Friday.

Authorities arrested a man in possession of more than 140,000 #captagon tablets in #Lattakia, #Syria this week. The unnamed man, who was also in possession of 30,000 more prescription pills, had allegedly been intending to sell and redistribute the illicit substances.

Katz orders IDF to declare Egyptian border closed military zone over drone smugglings Defense minister says he's 'declaring war' on gun-runners, Shin Bet will define such acts as terror; Zamir instructs military to focus efforts and resources on threat

The #Israeli Defense Minister has declared a closed militarized zone along the country's border with #Egypt in response to recent gun-smuggling attempts conducted via drone. The minister further instructed #ShinBet to define any similar attempts as terrorism.

www.timesofisrael.com/katz-orders-...