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US designates Cartel de los Soles as terrorist organisation in Venezuela

The Trump administration expands its action against Maduro and his entourage by designating the so-called Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist group

The Trump administration has officially designated the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organisation, including Nicolas Maduro and his government’s main allies. The move comes as the United States has been conducting military operations and raids off the Venezuelan coast for months with the stated aim of combating drug trafficking, operations that have already caused dozens of deaths.

According to Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State, the Cartel de los Soles is “responsible for terrorist violence” in the Western Hemisphere. However, several experts point out that the cartel does not fit the traditional pattern of terrorist groups, as it lacks a clear hierarchy and a consolidated organisational structure. Adam Isaacson of the Washington Office on Latin America explains: ‘It is not a group of people who identify themselves as members, they do not have regular meetings, they do not have a hierarchy.’

The term ‘Cartel de los Soles’ was coined in the 1990s by Venezuelans to refer to military leaders who enriched themselves through drug trafficking. With the spread of corruption under Hugo Chávez and later Maduro, the term has taken on a more general meaning, referring to government and police officials involved in illegal trafficking. The ‘soles’ refer to the epaulettes on the uniforms of high-ranking officers.

The designation of the Cartel de los Soles gives President Trump the authority to impose new sanctions on Venezuelan assets and infrastructure. While not explicitly authorising the use of lethal force, some members of the administration see the move as an expansion of military options, potentially useful for ground raids or other targeted actions, extending the operation already launched in September with sea raids and a massive naval deployment off the Venezuelan coast.

Despite the military possibilities, Trump does not rule out direct talks with Maduro, signalling a dual strategy of economic and diplomatic pressure. The announcement of the designation of the Cartel de los Soles therefore marks an important step in US policy towards Venezuela, combining sanctions and potential military action.

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