Syria: Bashar al-Assad’s cousin arrested

The Syrian Ministry of Interior announced on June 21st the arrest of Wassim al-Assad, a cousin of the former president Bashar al-Assad, according to Radio France Internationale.

The country’s transitional government described Wassim as “one of the most notorious drug traffickers” and accused him of being involved in numerous crimes committed under the previous regime.

Although he never held an official position of power, Wassim is the first high-profile member of the Assad family to be detained since opposition offensives in December 2024 brought an end to Bashar al-Assad’s rule, ending over 50 years of family dominance in Syria.

Following his ouster, Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia with a handful of loyalists, while other regime figures reportedly sought refuge in neighboring nations or within the Alawite community’s coastal bastion.

In a statement, the Ministry of Interior confirmed that security forces had successfully ambushed and detained Wassim. According to Syria’s official news agency SANA, citing an anonymous security source, Wassim was captured near the Syrian-Lebanese border, in the Tal Kalakh area of Homs province.

While details surrounding the circumstances of his arrest remain scarce, his long standing criminal activity was emphasised in the statement. 

Since 2023, Wassim had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury for commanding a paramilitary group. He was also allegedly a key figure in a regional drug trafficking network.

In recent years, Wassim frequently posted images on social media flaunting luxury cars, firearms, and entourages of armed men—sometimes in military uniforms—while officially presenting himself as a “customs broker.”

His arrest marks a significant moment in the transitional authorities’ efforts to dismantle the remnants of the Assad regime, as Syria continues to grapple with the legacy of decades of authoritarian rule and war-driven instability.

Radio France Internationale, Maghrebi.org