WASHINGTON: The United States will designate Cartel de los Soles — which Washington alleges is led by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and senior officials — as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) on 24 November, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Sunday.
The State Department said: “Neither Maduro nor his cronies represent Venezuela’s legitimate government… Cartel de los Soles by and with other designated FTOs including Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel are responsible for terrorist violence throughout our hemisphere as well as for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe.”
The decision comes as the US expands its military footprint in the Caribbean, including deploying the world’s largest aircraft carrier.
Trump Signals Military Leverage — but Says Talks with Maduro Possible
Tensions between President Donald Trump and Maduro have escalated as US forces conduct strikes on alleged drug-trafficking vessels — 21 known strikes so far.
Trump suggested the FTO designation “allows us to… target Maduro’s assets and infrastructure inside Venezuela” but added: “We haven’t said we’re going to do that… They would like to talk.”
Though he hinted Friday at deciding on potential military action, Trump remained noncommittal:
“We like to keep Congress involved… We don’t have to get their approval. But I think letting them know is good.”
Legal experts have questioned the legitimacy of US boat strikes given the absence of a formal declaration of war.
What the Designation Means — and the Political Stakes
The FTO designation is one of Washington’s most severe counterterrorism tools. It bars US persons from providing “material support or resources” to the group and restricts entry into the US for anyone affiliated with it. Congress has seven days to review the move before it takes effect.
Earlier, Rubio argued: “We have to start treating them as armed terrorist organizations, not simply drug-dealing organizations.”
The Treasury Department previously labeled Cartel de los Soles a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” entity, alleging it supported Tren de Aragua and Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel.
Venezuela Rejects Claims as Experts Question Cartel’s Existence
Caracas has dismissed the allegations, including a $50 million US reward for Maduro’s arrest.
Phil Gunson of the International Crisis Group told CNN:
“Cartel de los Soles, per se, doesn’t exist. It’s a journalistic expression created to refer to the involvement of Venezuelan authorities in drug trafficking.”
But Gunson noted the reality of official complicity:
“The cartels are here, the Colombians and the Mexicans, too… All of this wouldn’t be possible without direct involvement from above.”
Regional Fallout and Next Steps
The designation is likely to sharpen already fraught US–Venezuela relations and could provide the Trump administration a broader legal basis for military operations — though the FTO label itself does not authorise lethal force.
Analysts warn the move could complicate diplomatic efforts, increase regional instability, and deepen the political standoff in Venezuela.
