Brigadier General Michel Boutros (on the left) in a meeting with the Syrian police chief, Major General Ahmad Lattouf, on May 27, 2025, in Damascus. (Credit: Syrian Interior Ministry's Facebook account)
A Lebanese security and military delegation, led by Brigadier General Michel Boutros, has been touring authorities in Damascus since Tuesday, during which they met with officials from the Syrian Interior Ministry and the chief of staff.
On Wednesday, according to the official Syrian news agency SANA, the Lebanese delegation was received by the chief of the Syrian army's general staff, Major General Ali al-Naasan. The meeting focused on border security issues and strengthening cooperation between the two countries.
The previous day, they met with the police chief, Major General Ahmad Lattouf, according to an Interior Ministry statement. The discussions also revolved around the border, its “monitoring” and ways to “put an end to smuggling.”
Syrian authorities had announced Saturday a “reorganization” of the Interior Ministry, particularly to combat drug and human trafficking, amid warming relations with the West and a gradual easing of sanctions against Damascus. The Interior Ministry spokesperson, Noureddine al-Baba, announced Saturday the creation of new departments, including a land and sea border security body specifically tasked with combating “drug and human trafficking networks.”
Syria has particularly engaged in discussions with Lebanon on delineating the land border between the two countries, which is porous and open to trafficking. Clashes in recent months between Syrian security forces and armed elements in Lebanon, members of “Shiite clans” living near the border, are reportedly mainly related to smuggling operations, according to the Lebanese Army.
