US Labels Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles as Terrorist Organisation

The United States has moved to designate Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO), marking a significant escalation in Washington’s campaign against criminal networks linked to senior figures in Caracas. The designation, effective from 24 November, is aimed at tackling what US officials describe as a state-embedded narco-terrorist structure operating under President Nicolas Maduro.

Escalation Against Venezuela’s Power Structure

The State Department states that the cartel functions under the direction of Maduro and key members of his administration. According to US assessments, the network has entrenched itself across Venezuela’s military, intelligence bodies and judicial institutions. Officials argue that the cartel enables and protects regional criminal operations, widening its influence across Latin America.

Links to Transnational Criminal Organisations

Washington claims Cartel de los Soles cooperates with violent groups including Tren de Aragua and Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel. These links are alleged to support large-scale drug trafficking into the United States and Europe. The Treasury Department describes the organisation as providing material assistance to entities previously listed as foreign terrorist groups.

Political Reactions in Washington

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the designation, saying it targets a group responsible for coordinating terrorist activity alongside other sanctioned organisations. The move adds Cartel de los Soles to a growing list of Latin American crime groups classified alongside al-Qaeda, ISIS and Boko Haram.

Exam Oriented Facts

• The designation of Cartel de los Soles as an FTO takes effect on 24 November 2025.
• The cartel is accused of cooperating with Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel.
• Eight other Latin American crime groups are already listed under US terrorism-related sanctions.
• The US has conducted over 20 strikes on suspected Venezuelan trafficking vessels in the Caribbean.

Wider Regional Security Measures

The FTO designation comes amid intensified US maritime operations in the Caribbean Sea. Recent Pentagon actions targeted vessels allegedly engaged in narcotics trafficking along known smuggling routes. Washington argues that the measure will restrict the cartel’s finances, movement and regional influence while strengthening cooperation with partners to curb narco-terrorism across the Western Hemisphere.