The United States has officially designated the ‘Cartel de los Soles’ as a foreign terrorist group, imposing new sanctions. US officials assert that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his administration are implicated in this organization, which they claim is responsible for drug trafficking into the United States. Venezuela has unequivocally rejected this designation, labeling it a “ridiculous” and “non-existent” entity created to justify US intervention.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio highlighted the group’s alleged role in illicit drug movement into the US as the basis for the designation. The announcement comes amid a significant US military buildup in the Caribbean, fueling speculation about potential future actions, though legal experts clarify that the designation alone does not permit military strikes.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil took to Telegram to denounce the US State Department’s claims as a “ridiculous fabrication.” He further alleged that the US is utilizing “an infamous and vile lie” to instigate an “illegitimate and illegal intervention” and gain access to Venezuela’s oil reserves, predicting the failure of this latest US tactic.
Previously, in July, the US Treasury Department had already blacklisted the ‘Cartel of the Suns’ under ‘Specially Designated Global Terrorist’ status, freezing its assets and barring US persons from engaging with it. The name ‘Cartel de los Soles’ is derived from the sun badges worn by generals in the Venezuelan military.