US Designates Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles as Foreign Terrorist Organisation Amid Rising Narco-Terror Concerns

US Labels Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles as Terrorist Organisation

The United States has formally designated Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) , a major escalation in Washington’s stance against what it describes as a state-backed narco-terrorist network tied to President Nicolás Maduro’s regime. The designation, effective 24 November 2025 , places the group under the same category as global terrorist entities like ISIS and al-Qaeda.

US Targets State-Linked Criminal Network

According to the US State Department, Cartel de los Soles operates with direct involvement from senior officials across Venezuela’s military, intelligence agencies and judiciary. Washington alleges that the cartel uses state structures to facilitate and protect narcotics trafficking, arms smuggling and illegal financial networks across Latin America. Officials assert that the organisation’s operations are deeply embedded in Venezuela’s power hierarchy.

Connections to Major Transnational Crime Groups

US authorities claim that the cartel collaborates with Tren de Aragua , one of South America’s most violent gangs, and Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel , supporting large-scale drug trafficking into the United States and Europe. The Treasury Department notes that Cartel de los Soles has provided material assistance to previously sanctioned terrorist groups, strengthening its classification as a threat to regional security.

Political Response in Washington

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the move, stating that the designation targets a group responsible for coordinating terrorist-linked activities across the Western Hemisphere. Cartel de los Soles now joins eight other Latin American crime organisations under terrorism-related sanctions.

Exam Oriented Facts

• FTO designation effective 24 November 2025 .

• Alleged links: Tren de Aragua and Sinaloa Cartel .

• Eight Latin American groups already under US terrorism sanctions.

• US has carried out 20+ maritime strikes on suspected Venezuelan trafficking vessels in 2025.