Washington, DC (US)— The United States has announced plans to officially designate Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO), a move that marks a significant escalation in Washington’s pressure campaign against networks it accuses of operating under President Nicolas Maduro.
The designation, set to take effect on November 24, targets what the US State Department describes as a narco-terrorist structure embedded within key Venezuelan state institutions. According to US officials, the cartel is led by Maduro and senior figures of what Washington refers to as the “illegitimate Maduro regime,” with deep penetration across the country’s military, intelligence, judiciary and legislative bodies.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the decision, stating that it strikes at a group “headed by the illegitimate Nicolas Maduro” and one that has coordinated violent activities with other US-designated entities. The State Department maintains that Cartel de los Soles collaborates closely with criminal networks such as Tren de Aragua and Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, contributing to narcotics trafficking toward the United States and Europe.
In its statement, the State Department said the United States would “continue to use all available tools” to safeguard national security and cut off financial pipelines that support narco-terrorist groups. The US Treasury has similarly identified Cartel de los Soles as enabling foreign terrorist organisations that threaten international stability.
The move comes as Washington broadens terror-related designations to include top organised crime groups across Latin America. Eight major organisations — including Tren de Aragua, MS-13, the Sinaloa Cartel, Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), and others — are now listed alongside global FTOs such as al-Qaeda, ISIS, Boko Haram and Yemen’s Houthi movement.
US officials say adding Cartel de los Soles to the FTO list is aimed at choking off its international funding networks, restricting its mobility and boosting cooperation with partner nations to counter narcotrafficking activities across the Western Hemisphere.
The development comes amid heightened tensions in the Caribbean Sea, where the US military has intensified operations against what it calls drug-smuggling vessels linked to Venezuela. CNN reported that the US has carried out over 20 strikes on suspected narcotics boats, with the Pentagon confirming its 21st strike on Sunday. Three men on board the targeted vessel were killed, raising the total number of deaths linked to these strikes to 83.
The deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford — the US Navy’s largest aircraft carrier — has further increased regional tensions. Venezuela has responded by mobilising troops and equipment, sparking concerns of a potential military confrontation.
US President Donald Trump has said he believes Maduro’s tenure is nearing an end and has not ruled out land-based strikes inside Venezuela.
