The US State Department's announcement that the Cartel de los Soles group operating in Venezuela will be recognized as a foreign terrorist organization has generated widespread resonance on the international agenda. The document states that the cartel is controlled by Nicolas Maduro and high-ranking officials of his regime.
The editorial, citing the US Department of State and the US Department of the Treasury, reports that the decision, which will come into force on November 24, 2025, is based on Cartel de los Soles' drug trafficking activities to the US and Europe, as well as its cooperation with other terrorist organizations — particularly Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa cartel. The sanction measures were presented as steps taken within the framework of US President Donald Trump's 'America First' policy.
The information notes that the cartel had previously been listed as a 'Global Special Terrorist' by the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control. The State Department's new decision, however, emphasizes that the cartel has subjugated Venezuelan state structures to its goals through corruption.
According to the sanctions, all assets of Cartel de los Soles and its affiliated individuals located in the US are blocked, and persons under US jurisdiction are prohibited from conducting any financial or commercial transactions with these entities. Additionally, foreign financial institutions linked to the group may also face secondary sanctions.
The US administration states that the purpose of these steps is not punishment, but to restrict the activities of narco-terror networks that threaten international security and to completely cut off their financial sources.