US court jails Syrian-linked man for terrorism financing
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A US federal court has sentenced a dual Syrian-Lebanese national to 30 years in prison after convicting him of conspiring to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization and participating in a narcotics trafficking scheme, according to the US Department of Justice.
The sentence was issued on Friday against Antoine Qassis, who received 30 years in prison for conspiracy involving “narco-terrorism” and 20 years for conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization, with both sentences to be served concurrently, according to the Office of the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
According to the court, Qassis, a Lebanon-based drug trafficker, exploited his close ties to the former Syrian government, claiming to be a cousin of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Prosecutors said he worked with Maher al-Assad, the former president’s younger brother, and senior Syrian military officials to arrange shipments of military-grade weapons to the National Liberation Army of Colombia, a group designated by the United States as a terrorist organization, in exchange for hundreds of kilograms of cocaine.
Evidence presented during the trial showed that members of the criminal network linked to Qassis transferred nearly $100 million in less than 18 months. According to the US Department of Justice, the network also laundered money on behalf of criminal organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel and Hamas.
The ruling was announced by the Office of the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and the US Department of Justice.