The Trump administration is intensifying its campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by designating the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization. This move, set to be announced on Monday, marks a significant escalation in the U.S. government’s efforts to combat drug trafficking into the United States. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently accused the Cartel de los Soles, also known as the Cartel of the Suns, of being responsible for terrorist violence in the Western Hemisphere.
The designation comes as President Trump weighs potential military action against Venezuela, a possibility he has not ruled out despite suggesting the potential for talks with Maduro. The U.S. has already deployed a substantial military presence in the Caribbean Sea, targeting boats suspected of drug trafficking and resulting in over 80 deaths.
The term Cartel de los Soles originated in the 1990s to describe high-ranking Venezuelan military officers involved in drug trafficking. Over time, its use expanded to include police and government officials engaged in illegal activities such as mining and fuel trafficking. The name refers to the sun-shaped epaulettes worn by senior military officers.
In 2020, the U.S. Justice Department indicted Maduro and his inner circle on narcoterrorism charges, elevating the term to describe a Maduro-led drug-trafficking organization. However, experts like Adam Isaacson of the Washington Office on Latin America argue that the Cartel de los Soles is not a formal group with a hierarchy or regular meetings.
The Trump administration’s decision to label the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization is unprecedented, as the designation has traditionally been reserved for groups like ISIS or al-Qaeda. Earlier this year, the administration applied the label to eight Latin American criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking and migrant smuggling.
Critics, including Maduro, view the U.S. military buildup as an attempt to end the ruling party’s 26-year hold on power. Meanwhile, Venezuela’s U.S.-backed political opposition has renewed its efforts to remove Maduro from office.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the designation would provide new options for dealing with Maduro but did not specify what those options entail. Trump administration officials have indicated that Maduro’s continued rule is unsustainable, and Trump has reportedly been pleased with the impact of recent military strikes.
Maduro has denied the allegations, claiming the U.S. is fabricating a drug-trafficking narrative to force him out of power. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the Cartel de los Soles in July, accusing Maduro and his allies of using government resources to facilitate drug trafficking. The U.S. Justice Department has also doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million.