By Amir DaftariShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe United States has formally designated Venezuela's Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization, alleging that the network is linked to President Nicolás Maduro and senior military officials.
U.S. authorities say the group traffics large quantities of drugs to the U.S. and Europe and is responsible for "violence throughout our hemisphere."
The designation, announced on November 16, is part of Washington's ongoing campaign to isolate Maduro's government.
Newsweek has contacted the U.S. State Department and Venezuela's Foreign Ministry for comment.
Why It Matters
The official designation puts the Cartel de los Soles alongside major Mexican drug syndicates, including the Sinaloa Cartel, under U.S. law and reinforces diplomatic pressure on Caracas.
The classification also frames the Venezuelan leadership as the center of a transnational criminal network. It allows the U.S. to impose sweeping sanctions, seize assets and penalize individuals or entities that conduct business with the cartel.
...What To Know
The Cartel de los Soles, also known in English as the Cartel of the Suns, is an organized criminal network composed of senior Venezuelan military officers and government officials, the U.S. State Department said in a statement.
According to U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, the cartel is a structured organization involved in the production, transport and sale of illegal drugs. The network operates across Venezuelan territory and maintains direct connections with Colombian guerrilla groups to move narcotics internationally.
Alleged Leadership
U.S. authorities have identified Maduro as the head of the cartel and have offered a $50 million reward for information leading to his capture. A New York indictment from the first Trump administration also named Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and other senior officials as collaborators with Colombian guerrilla groups to transport drugs to the U.S.
U.S. Enforcement Measures
The State Department's designation, combined with a Treasury Department order, enables U.S. authorities to freeze assets, impose fines and block financial transactions linked to the cartel. Trump has referred to Maduro as a "narco-terrorist" and deployed the largest U.S. naval task force to the Caribbean since the Cuban missile crisis, including an aircraft carrier and special forces support, as part of operations targeting drug trafficking.
Over the past few months, American forces have carried out about 20 strikes on vessels that the Trump administration says are tied to narcotics trafficking from Venezuela and Colombia, resulting in at least 83 deaths. Caracas disputes the claims, saying there is no evidence linking the targeted boats to illegal activity.
...Origins of the Name
The name Cartel de los Soles was first used by Venezuelan journalists in the early 2000s to describe senior military officers allegedly involved in drug trafficking. The name refers to the sun-shaped insignias worn on their uniforms—with each "sun" indicating rank, such as brigadier or commanding general.
The phrase entered U.S. law enforcement records in a 2019 federal indictment to describe the organized criminal activities of these officers.
What People Are Saying
The U.S. State Department said in a statement: "The Department of State intends to designate Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), effective November 24, 2025. Based in Venezuela, the Cartel de los Soles is headed by Nicolás Maduro and other high-ranking individuals of the illegitimate Maduro regime who have corrupted Venezuela's military, intelligence, legislature, and judiciary."
What Happens Next
With the designation in effect, the U.S. may expand sanctions enforcement, target financial and logistical networks, and maintain diplomatic and intelligence pressure to disrupt the cartel's operations.
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