US adds Venezuelan ‘cartel’ to terror list as military threat rises

Venezuela’s “Cartel de los Soles” will be labeled a “terrorist” organization (FTO) by the US.

On Monday, the administration of President Donald Trump will add the “cartel” to the list, which it claims is connected to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

However, the name of the organization isn’t actually a cartel; instead, it’s a frequent use of military personnel engaged in corruption and other illegal activities.

The move, which comes as the US builds a significant military presence in the Caribbean Sea near Venezuela, could provide legal protection for direct military action.

According to reports, Trump is considering what will be his next move in the country’s South. A strike on Venezuelan soil would significantly worsen the months-long US operation there, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 80 people who have been killed while attempting to flee boats suspected of distributing drugs.

According to UN officials and scholars of international law, the strikes are in direct violation of US and international law and constitute extrajudicial executions.

Unnamed US officials told the Reuters news agency that Washington is gearing up for a new operation in the upcoming days.

The report stated that it was unclear whether Trump had made a final decision regarding the scope and exact timing of the new operations.

A senior administration official stated that Venezuela would not be subject to any exceptions.

According to two of the officials, covert operations would likely be Maduro’s first step in a new campaign, with options under consideration, including an attempt to overthrow the Venezuelan leader.

Cartel de los Soles

In the 1990s, Venezuelans began referring to senior military officers who had become wealthy from drug-running with the name “Cartel de los Soles.”

The term was loosely used in place of police and government officials as well as activities like illegal mining and fuel trafficking as corruption expanded later across the country, first under the late President Hugo Chavez and then Maduro.

The “suns” in the name refer to the epaulettes that are adorned on military officers’ uniforms.

When the US Department of Justice in Trump’s first term announced the indictment of Venezuela’s leader and his inner circle on narcoterrorism and other charges, the umbrella term was changed to a rumored drug-trafficking organization allegedly led by Maduro in 2020.

Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, claims that Trump wants to overthrow him and that Venezuelans and military personnel will oppose any attempt.

However, Caracas is still under increased pressure due to the US campaign and concerns about potential military action.

Following a warning from the US aviation regulator about “heightened military activity,” six airlines canceled flights to Venezuela on Saturday.

The Venezuelan Airlines Association (ALAV) president, Marisela de Loaiza, announced that Spain’s Iberia, Portugal’s TAP, Chile’s LATAM, Colombia’s Avianca, and Brazil’s GOL had suspended their flights there.