Lebanese forces say they have arrested Noah Zaitar in an ambush in Baalbek after a targeted surveillance operation. Zaitar, sanctioned by the US in 2023, was accused of leading an armed drug network that produced captagon and had ties to Syria’s Fourth Division and groups in the region. He was sentenced to death in 2024 for killing a soldier. The arrest is part of a broader crackdown that included deadly clashes in which two soldiers were killed and other suspects detained.
Lebanon Arrests US‑Sanctioned Alleged Drug Kingpin Noah Zaitar in Baalbek Ambush
Lebanese forces say they have arrested Noah Zaitar in an ambush in Baalbek after a targeted surveillance operation. Zaitar, sanctioned by the US in 2023, was accused of leading an armed drug network that produced captagon and had ties to Syria’s Fourth Division and groups in the region. He was sentenced to death in 2024 for killing a soldier. The arrest is part of a broader crackdown that included deadly clashes in which two soldiers were killed and other suspects detained.
09:15 AM, 11/21/2025Security
The Lebanese army says it has captured Noah Zaitar, a fugitive long accused of running an armed drug network in the Bekaa Valley and sanctioned by the US in 2023 for links to cross‑border narcotics trafficking.
In a post on X, the military said it arrested a citizen identified by the initials “NZ.” Security sources and local reporting identified the detainee as Noah Zaitar. Forces said the arrest took place in an ambush in the city of Baalbek following "a series of precise security surveillance and monitoring operations."
"The detainee is one of the most dangerous wanted individuals," the army said, citing multiple arrest warrants that accuse him of leading armed gangs, trafficking drugs and weapons, manufacturing narcotics, and committing robbery and kidnapping for ransom. It added that the investigation is now under the supervision of the competent judiciary.
Lebanese authorities long have accused Zaitar of directing production and export of captagon and other illicit drugs from the Bekaa Valley near the Syrian border. A military tribunal in 2024 sentenced him to death after finding him guilty of killing a Lebanese soldier. Authorities say he evaded capture for years while based in his home village of Kneisseh and protected by armed supporters.
The US State Department sanctioned Zaitar in 2023, describing him as a "known arms dealer and drug smuggler" with close ties to the Syrian Arab Army’s Fourth Division and alleging he provided material support to groups linked to the region’s trafficking networks.
The arrest comes amid an intensified Lebanese crackdown on narcotics networks. During recent operations in Baalbek, two soldiers—First Assistant Martyr Bilal al‑Baradi and Corporal Martyr Ali Haidar—were killed on 18 November 2025 while pursuing fugitive suspects, the army said. Another fugitive identified by the initials HAJ and named by local media as Hassouneh Jaafar was reportedly shot dead after opening fire on security forces; he had been wanted in connection with the killing of four soldiers and a range of violent crimes.
Authorities also reported arrests in the north: two men identified only as FM and GQ were detained in the Akkar governorate on accusations of promoting drugs and possessing weapons and military ammunition.
The military said the operation that led to Zaitar’s detention was the result of coordinated surveillance and targeted raids. The case will proceed through Lebanon’s judicial system.