The United States has officially designated the ‘Cartel de los Soles’ (Cartel of the Suns) as a foreign terrorist organization, alleging that it is led by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and senior government officials. This designation grants U.S. law enforcement and military agencies expanded powers to target and dismantle the group. The move is part of escalating U.S. pressure on Maduro, whose government has been deemed illegitimate following last year’s widely disputed election. Venezuela’s foreign ministry has vehemently denied the allegations, calling them a ‘ridiculous lie,’ while Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello dismissed the cartel as an ‘invention.’ The term ‘Cartel de los Soles’ originated in the early 1990s, referring to Venezuelan military officials allegedly involved in drug trafficking, symbolized by the sun-shaped insignia on their uniforms. Experts suggest the cartel lacks a formal structure, instead representing a widespread system of corruption fueled by Venezuela’s economic crisis. The U.S. has accused Maduro and other high-ranking officials of conspiring with Colombian armed groups to traffic cocaine, offering substantial rewards for information leading to their capture. Venezuela has consistently rejected these claims, framing them as a pretext for U.S. intervention.