Nairobi court orders extradition of Lebanese man wanted in US for narcoterrorism, money laundering
Investigations by the DEA also revealed that Kassis allegedly collaborated with a broker identified only as Kherfan to launder money, traffic cocaine, and sell military-grade weapons reportedly acquired from the Syrian government.
A Nairobi court has ordered the extradition of a Lebanese man wanted in the United States on charges of narcoterrorism and money laundering.
Milimani Principal Magistrate Benmark Ekhubi issued the order following an application by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to have Antoine Kassis deported to the US.
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The suspect was handed over to US security agents on Thursday in accordance with a Milimani Magistrate’s Court order and a warrant of surrender issued by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) on May 2, 2025.
Kassis was escorted by US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) special agents, alongside a senior prosecutor from the ODPP.
He had been arrested in March by detectives from the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) at the Windsor Hotel in Nairobi, having arrived from Qatar in late February.
His arrest followed the issuance of a Red Notice by Interpol’s National Central Bureau (NCB) in Washington, D.C., along with an arrest warrant from the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
According to court documents, Kassis is accused of being part of a US-based criminal syndicate that trafficked drugs from Colombia to Syria in exchange for weapons, which were then smuggled back into Colombia.
Investigations by the DEA also revealed that Kassis allegedly collaborated with a broker identified only as Kherfan to launder money, traffic cocaine, and sell military-grade weapons reportedly acquired from the Syrian government.
Following his arrest, the ODPP submitted an application seeking approval for his extradition.
Magistrate Ekhubi granted the request, ruling that it met the legal thresholds outlined in the Extradition Act, despite some objections raised during the proceedings.
During the court session, Kassis voluntarily agreed to be extradited to the United States.
He is expected to face trial in a US federal court on charges of conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism and money laundering.
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