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The United States will designate the Venezuela-based Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Sunday, marking one of Washington’s most serious counterterrorism classifications.
The designation is set to take effect on Nov. 24.
Rubio said Cartel de los Soles, along with already-designated groups such as Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel, is responsible for “terrorist violence throughout our hemisphere” and for trafficking drugs into the U.S. and Europe.
He accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and senior Venezuelan officials of leading the group, asserting they do not “represent Venezuela’s legitimate government.”
“The United States will continue using all available tools to protect our national security interests and deny funding and resources to narco-terrorists,” Rubio said.
The announcement comes as the U.S. has increased its military presence across Latin America.
President Donald Trump has ordered strikes on vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean that U.S. officials allege are used to transport drugs. The latest operation marked the 21st known strike on an alleged drug boat.
The USS Gerald Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, has also arrived in the Caribbean as part of the military buildup.
Trump said the FTO designation allows the U.S. military the ability to target “Maduro’s assets and infrastructure inside Venezuela,” though he added, “We haven’t said we’re going to do that.”
Trump argued that congressional authorization is not required for potential military action inside Venezuela, saying the administration would prefer to keep lawmakers informed without seeking approval.
CNN reported that some experts have questioned the legality of the boat strikes, noting that the U.S. has not declared war on Venezuela.
Under U.S. law, the FTO designation makes it illegal for American persons to provide material support to the group, blocks its members from entering the U.S., and grants the president expanded sanctioning authority.
Congress has seven days to review the designation.
In July, the U.S. Treasury Department labeled Cartel de los Soles as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” organization, alleging it provided support to Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel.
The group’s name reportedly refers to sun insignias worn by Venezuelan military officials.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has offered a $50 million reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest on U.S. drug charges, though no conclusive evidence of his involvement has been publicly presented.
Caracas has rejected all accusations.
Phil Gunson of the International Crisis Group previously said the term “Cartel de los Soles” is a journalistic label referring to the alleged involvement of Venezuelan authorities in drug trafficking.
He noted that drug shipments through Venezuela involve routes via the Orinoco River, clandestine airstrips, and flights from Apure to Central America; activities he said would be impossible “without direct involvement from above.”
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