Ultimatum to Maduro: U.S. Targets the Cartel of the Suns

Ultimatum to Maduro: U.S. Targets the Cartel of the Suns

The United States is preparing to designate Venezuela’s Cartel of the Suns as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on November 24, marking a dramatic escalation in Washington’s confrontation with Nicolás Maduro and his closest allies.

Washington sharpens its national security and counter-narcotics policy.

On November 16, the U.S. State Department confirmed that the Cartel of the Suns, a Venezuelan drug-trafficking network tied directly to President Nicolás Maduro and senior figures in his regime, will be formally added to the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) on November 24, 2025.

Officials emphasized that the cartel has corrupted Venezuelan institutions, including the armed forces and intelligence services, while maintaining operational links with transnational criminal groups such as the Sinaloa Cartel and the Tren de Aragua.

Legal and strategic consequences

FTO designation: enables Washington to freeze assets, impose sweeping financial sanctions, and prosecute anyone providing material support to the cartel.

Regional impact: paves the way for joint operations with European and Latin American allies to disrupt trafficking routes into North America and Europe.

Military posture: the Pentagon has deployed Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers and U.S. Coast Guard units across the Caribbean — the largest concentration of American military assets in the region in decades.

Political reading: a final warning to Maduro

Diplomatic circles interpret the move as a last warning to Maduro: negotiate a political exit or face unprecedented isolation. Washington views the cartel as the financial and armed backbone of the regime, making this designation a direct strike at the core of chavista power.

State Department sources underscored that “Maduro and his cronies do not represent Venezuela’s legitimate government.” The Trump administration aims to delegitimize Maduro internationally, framing his rule as sustained by criminal enterprises.

Reactions and scenarios

Venezuelan opposition: hails the decision as a historic step to weaken the regime.

Maduro’s allies: denounce it as “imperialist aggression,” warning it could serve as a pretext for military intervention.

Security analysts: caution that the move may heighten regional tensions, particularly if Caracas responds with military maneuvers or deepens ties with Russia and Iran.

Washington’s decision marks a turning point in U.S. counter-narcotics and national security policy toward Venezuela. By designating the Cartel of the Suns as a terrorist organization, the United States not only criminalizes Maduro’s inner circle but also opens the door to more forceful measures, ranging from financial warfare to military deployments in the Caribbean.

Sources press office official:/AFP/ AP/EFE/Washington / the white house/

Photos stock social Washington the white house/ stock/

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