Lebanese authorities have detained Suleiman Assad, a relative of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, and Ali Zeiter, the son of a known drug dealer, on charges of carrying weapons and drugs. The arrests occurred Friday near the northeastern city of Baalbek.
Suleiman Assad is the son of Hilal Assad, a cousin of the ousted president. The Lebanese army stated it detained three individuals, including a Syrian citizen who lacked documentation for legal residency in Lebanon. During the detention, authorities found weapons and hashish. The army did not release the full names of those arrested, but the initials matched those of Assad and Zeiter. Both individuals were questioned under the supervision of judicial officials.
This incident follows weeks after Lebanon transferred a retired major general who commanded a division under Bashar Assad's military to Syrian authorities. Following the Islamist rebels' seizure of power in Syria in December 2024, which ended five decades of Assad family rule, a number of Syrian officials and Assad relatives have fled the country, with some seeking refuge in Lebanon. Bashar Assad and his brother Maher are reportedly living in Russia.