Maduro, Venezuela's current leader, labeled a 'narco-terrorist' threat to the US by Rubio, a year after a contested election
The Cartel de Los Soles, a notorious drug trafficking organisation in Venezuela, has been designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity by the U.S. Treasury Department. This designation, effective from July 25, 2025, freezes all assets held by the cartel within U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits American citizens from engaging in transactions with it.
According to Secretary Marco Rubio and the U.S. Treasury Department, the Cartel de Los Soles is headed by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and senior members of his regime. Rubio explicitly labeled Maduro as the leader of this "narco-terrorist cartel" and claimed he is formally charged with introducing drugs into the United States. The Treasury Department stated that the cartel provides material support to foreign terrorist organisations, specifically the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua group and Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, both designated as terrorist organisations by the U.S. The Cartel de Los Soles assists these groups in trafficking large quantities of illegal narcotics into the United States, effectively using drugs as a weapon against U.S. national security.
The Justice Department charged Maduro and 14 other Venezuelan officials with narco-terrorism, corruption, drug trafficking, and other criminal charges in March 2020. Rubio accused Maduro of manipulating Venezuela's electoral system to maintain his illegitimate grip on power. He also stated that by scheduling the municipal elections on the eve of the anniversary of the stolen July 28 presidential election, the regime aims to deploy the military and police to suppress the will of the Venezuelan people.
The Treasury Department claims the cartel corrupted various institutions of the Venezuelan government, including parts of the military, intelligence apparatus, legislature, and judiciary. The U.S. alleges that Cartel de los Soles is headed by Maduro and other Venezuelan high-ranking individuals in his regime.
These sanctions aim to disrupt the illicit drug networks supported by the Maduro regime and to hold them accountable for trafficking drugs into the United States. The Treasury Department plans to continue cracking down on violent organisations including Tren de Aragua, the Sinaloa Cartel, and their facilitators, like Cartel de los Soles. The Trump administration has been escalating pressure against Maduro in recent days.
The Treasury Department's designation of the Cartel de Los Soles as a SDGT entity is a policy-and-legislation move aimed at combating drug trafficking and terrorism, as the cartel assists foreign terrorist organizations like the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua group and Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel in trafficking illegal narcotics into the United States, thereby posing a threat to U.S. national security. Given the Cartel de Los Soles' alleged involvement in manipulating Venezuela's electoral system and corrupting various institutions of the Venezuelan government, media attention should focus on the influence these organisations have on politics, both domestically and internationally. General news outlets must also report on the ongoing investigations and sanctions imposed on the cartel and its members, including U.S. attempts to disrupt their drug networks and hold them accountable for their actions.
