I don't know how you can glibly dismiss this as a "merchant caravan." The Syrian regime is facilitating the arming and funding of a major terrorist operation against Israel and the United States. Hezbollah maintains its headquarters in Damascus and they along with the Iranians have grown Hezbollah into a major fighting force with modern weapondry and ample funding. The Syrians have also allowed their country to be used as a staging ground and a major transit point for jihadi terrorists entering Iraq. This is just smuggling bootleg CDs or cheap designer knock offs my friend. This is a major operation of terrorism support against two of Syria's neighbors. The Syrian regime would not allow armed groups to operate from its territory if it did not want them there, especially armed groups that could cause the Syrian regime to be drawn into a war.
Your analogy about New York banking transactions was at best tortured. The more apt analogy would be if the US allowed armed terrorist gangs to operate from its territory, providing supply and logistics to them to attack both Canada and Mexico. I don't think either nation would sit still for that. Nor should Israel tolerate it or the US whose soldiers are dying because it's been allowed to go on.
This IS NOT just...I meant.
Hezbollah maintains its headquarters in Damascus
Perhaps a signal to Syria is to destroy Hesbollah's hdqtrs there. They might get the message without suffering any direct damage.