Overview
- The military confirmed Zaiter’s arrest on November 20 in the Baalbek area during a planned ambush on the so-called church road.
- A security source cited by local media said he was detained without injury, and his lawyer said he did not resist as army intelligence executed the operation.
- Zaiter was previously sentenced in absentia to life in prison in 2021 on drug charges and received a death sentence from a military court in March 2024 for firing on soldiers with intent to kill.
- The United States, United Kingdom and European Union have sanctioned Zaiter over alleged involvement in Captagon trafficking connected to networks spanning Lebanon and Syria.
- His lawyer says he faces roughly 2,500 cases, including about 150 life sentences and around 1,000 in-absentia decisions, reflecting years of warrants and prosecutions.