The Damascus was a freighter on independent service in the late 24th century.
In late 2379, the Damascus accepted a cargo shipment from the freighter Caedera and transported contraband nadion-pulse cannon equipment to Tezwa. After the shipments were discovered by the USS Enterprise-E, the USS Amargosa or USS Musashi intercepted the vessel and impounded it, holding the crew in detention. Captain Jean-Luc Picard questioned the freighter crew along with the other captured crews. (TNG novel: A Time to Heal)