Lebanese army arrests cousin of Bashar al-Assad and son of drug lord

The Lebanese army arrested on Friday a second cousin of deposed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as well as the son of Lebanese drug lord Nouh Zaïter, a security source told AFP.

According to this source, who requested anonymity, the army “arrested three people, including Souleiman Hilal al-Assad, the son of the cousin of the former Syrian leader” while the trio was consuming drugs in the Bekaa region (eastern Lebanon). Nouh Zaiter's son, Ali, was also arrested, the source added, referring to a notorious drug trafficker who was himself captured by the army last year.

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The three detainees were transferred to Lebanon's Ministry of Defense for questioning. Syria and Lebanon are trying to write a new page in their bilateral relations since the fall of Bashar al-Assad at the end of 2024 and the weakening of Hezbollah, its ally in Lebanon.

Earlier this month, Lebanese authorities arrested a former Syrian intelligence officer, as well as several accomplices who allegedly planned attacks against the forces of the new Syrian government. Last month, Beirut extradited a former Assad-era general to Damascus, accused of crimes including murder and torture.