Trump Admin Designates Venezuela’s Maduro as Member of Foreign Terrorist Org/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The U.S. plans to label Maduro-linked Cartel de los Soles as a terror group. Though not a traditional cartel, the network is tied to drug trafficking. Venezuela denies its existence, calling it a pretext for intervention.
Cartel de los Soles Terror Label: Quick Looks
- U.S. set to designate Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles a terrorist group
- The cartel is linked to President Nicolás Maduro and top officials
- Despite its name, it operates more as a loose criminal network
- Trump considers military options as part of anti-narcotics push
- U.S. military strikes in the region already killed over 80
- Venezuela denies cartel’s existence, slams U.S. as fabricating justification
- Trump’s strategy includes legal and covert tools to oust Maduro
- Charges allege Venezuelan leaders helped “flood” U.S. with cocaine
- Sanctions target Venezuelan officials and alleged cartel supporters
- U.S. doubles reward for Maduro’s arrest to $50 million
Trump Admin Designates Venezuela’s Maduro as Member of Foreign Terrorist Org
Deep Look
In a significant escalation of pressure against Venezuela’s leadership, the U.S. government under President Donald Trump is expected to officially designate the so-called Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization. The move, expected Monday, marks another aggressive step in Washington’s years-long effort to remove President Nicolás Maduro from power and disrupt drug trafficking in the region.
However, experts say the Cartel de los Soles, or “Cartel of the Suns,” is not a cartel in the traditional sense. Rather than a structured criminal organization, the term refers to a shadowy network of Venezuelan military, police, and government officials allegedly involved in the drug trade and other illicit activities.
“The Cartel de los Soles isn’t a group with membership cards or chain-of-command meetings,” said Adam Isaacson of the Washington Office on Latin America. “It’s a catch-all phrase for corrupt actors benefiting from Venezuela’s institutional collapse.”
The phrase emerged in the 1990s as a reference to military officials suspected of drug trafficking, with the “suns” symbolizing the insignia worn by Venezuelan generals. Over time, the term expanded to encompass figures across Venezuela’s security forces and political elite, especially under former President Hugo Chávez and his successor, Nicolás Maduro.
The U.S. Justice Department gave the network a formal face in 2020, when it indicted Maduro and several close allies on narcoterrorism charges, accusing them of working with Colombian rebel groups to traffic tons of cocaine into the United States.
Now, by designating Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization, the Trump administration is aiming to unlock broader legal authority, including sanctions and potential military action. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week the designation opens “a whole bunch of new options” for dealing with Maduro, though he declined to detail them.
Trump has not ruled out a military response and has continued to evaluate a range of strategies, including covert action. A senior U.S. official said intelligence reports suggest rising anxiety among Maduro’s inner circle as U.S. naval strikes—part of a broader anti-drug operation—continue in the Caribbean and Pacific.
“These aren’t empty threats,” the official said. “The administration believes Maduro’s grip on power is weakening.”
The U.S. military’s counter-narcotics operations have already targeted dozens of vessels allegedly linked to drug routes, particularly those off the Venezuelan coast. Over 80 people have died in those operations, though critics argue that Washington has not substantiated the identities of the groups behind the targeted boats.
Many see the U.S. effort as part of a broader campaign to oust Maduro, whose government is not recognized by the Trump administration. Maduro has held onto power despite losing elections, facing international sanctions, and being accused of extensive human rights violations.
Following the announcement of the expected designation, Venezuela’s government issued a strong rebuke, calling the move a “ridiculous fabrication” designed to justify unlawful U.S. interference. Officials maintain that drug trafficking through Venezuela is minimal and cite a UN report indicating that only 5% of Colombia’s cocaine passes through the country.
Nevertheless, U.S. agencies paint a different picture. The Treasury Department recently imposed sanctions on the alleged cartel, asserting that Maduro and his top aides used state institutions—military, intelligence, and more—to protect and facilitate cocaine shipments.
The 2020 indictment alleges that Maduro, along with Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, coordinated with the now-disbanded FARC rebel group and others to move massive quantities of cocaine across Venezuela into global markets.
The U.S. also claims that the Cartel de los Soles worked closely with Tren de Aragua, Venezuela’s most powerful gang, and the Sinaloa cartel from Mexico. Both organizations were among eight Latin American criminal groups previously labeled as terrorist entities by the Trump administration earlier this year.
By broadening the scope of the terrorist designation, the Trump administration is reframing the war on drugs as a national security issue. In this context, drug trafficking is not only a criminal activity but a weapon used by adversaries to destabilize the United States.
Still, critics warn that labeling loosely defined criminal networks as “terrorist” groups sets a dangerous precedent. Unlike terrorist groups with ideological agendas, these entities are often fluid, decentralized, and tied to state corruption rather than political extremism.
As Trump’s strategy continues to unfold, the impact remains uncertain. Calls for direct negotiations with the U.S. have reportedly increased from Maduro’s side, though no channels of communication have been authorized by the White House.
Meanwhile, Trump’s administration remains firm in its belief that Maduro’s rule cannot be sustained. Doubling down on sanctions, increasing military presence, and now expanding the terror label appear to be part of a multi-front campaign to accelerate the Venezuelan leader’s departure.
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