US labels another Venezuelan group as a foreign terrorist, ramping up pressure

US labels another Venezuelan group as a foreign terrorist, ramping up pressure

The United States on Monday formally designated Cartel de los Soles a foreign terrorist organisation, layering additional terrorism-related sanctions on the group it has said includes Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and other high-ranking officials. Venezuela’s government rejected what it called a “ridiculous” US plan to designate the “non-existent” group. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said…

The United States on Monday formally designated Cartel de los Soles a foreign terrorist organisation, layering additional terrorism-related sanctions on the group it has said includes Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and other high-ranking officials.

Venezuela’s government rejected what it called a “ridiculous” US plan to designate the “non-existent” group.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this month the US would designate Cartel de los Soles, or Cartel of the Suns, as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) for the network’s alleged role in importing illegal drugs into the US.
Maduro faces escalating pressure from US President Donald Trump’s military build-up in the Caribbean, raising concerns that the US may seek to use the designation to justify military action. Sanctions experts, however, have said the statute for the designation does not authorise such a move.

The US for months has waged a campaign of deadly strikes against suspected drug trafficking boats off the Venezuelan coast and the Pacific coast of Latin America. Reuters reported on Saturday that the US is poised to launch a new phase of Venezuela-related operations in the coming days.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the designation would bring “a whole bunch of new options to the United States”, in excerpts released on Thursday from an interview with One America News.

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