Cartel of the Soles labeled as terrorist organization; investigation urged into occurrence within Ecuador by Noboa
In the heart of South America, a powerful drug trafficking and criminal organization known as the Cartel of the Suns (Cartel de los Soles) has made its mark. This organization, heavily linked to high-ranking Venezuelan government and military officials, including President Nicolás Maduro, has been accused of drug trafficking and terrorist activities by the United States government and Treasury Department [1][2][4].
Leadership Ties
The U.S. officials assert that Maduro's regime has corrupted Venezuelan institutions to support the cartel's drug trafficking and terrorist activities [1][4]. Senator Marco Rubio has gone so far as to describe the Venezuelan government as a criminal organization responsible for exporting narcotics that destabilize the hemisphere [3]. However, Venezuelan state-aligned sources and some analyses dispute these claims, framing them as part of U.S. political and imperial aggression to justify interventions [5].
Collaborations and Reach
The Cartel of the Suns supports other criminal groups such as the Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang involved in drug trafficking and violent crimes, and the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel, extending its trafficking network across borders [1]. Tren de Aragua, initially a regional player, has interlinked with the Cartel of the Suns to expand its criminal reach.
Impact on Ecuador's Criminal Landscape
While direct detailed information about the Cartel of the Suns’ ties specifically to Ecuadorian criminal bands is not explicit, the connection can be inferred due to the cartel’s broader role in regional drug trafficking networks. The Cartel de los Soles’ trafficking routes and collaborations with other powerful gangs in Venezuela facilitate narcotics flow into neighboring countries, including Ecuador, which serves as a corridor for drugs en route to North America and beyond. Ecuador’s criminal bands often serve as local enforcers or intermediaries in these transnational networks, meaning the cartel’s operations likely impact and empower criminal groups across Ecuador by enabling drug supply chains and associated violence [1][2].
International Response
In response to the cartel's influence, Ecuador's President, Daniel Noboa, has declared the Cartel of the Suns as a terrorist group [6]. Noboa has also ordered the national intelligence system to coordinate with the intelligence services of other countries to determine possible relationships between the Cartel of the Suns and the criminal network in Ecuador [7].
Meanwhile, Venezuela's Executive Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, has called on Latin American countries to unite against what she considers "direct threats of military intervention" by the United States [8]. In contrast, Venezuela's Minister of Interior and Justice, Diosdado Cabello, has rejected the accusation linking Maduro to drug trafficking, calling it a "fabrication" of the United States [9].
Notable Cases
Recently, "Fito" Adolfo Macías, a top drug trafficker in the region, was extradited to the US [10]. Jorge Glas, a former Vice President of Ecuador, was detained during a police raid on the Mexican Embassy in Quito [11]. The U.S. President, Donald Trump, had previously sanctioned the Cartel of the Suns as a terrorist entity [12], and a $50 million reward has been announced for information leading to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro [13].
In the midst of these developments, Ecuador and Venezuela have broken off diplomatic relations at all levels since April [14]. The criminal organizations declared as terrorists are now a target of the Ecuadorian state within the state of "internal armed conflict" declared by Noboa since the beginning of 2024 against these transnational structures that commit crimes in Ecuador [15].
As the Cartel of the Suns continues to operate, the international community watches closely, with many nations taking action to combat this transnational criminal threat. The future remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the Cartel of the Suns is a powerful force that has far-reaching impacts on the region's drug trade and criminal landscape.
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