The U.S. Department of State announced its intention to designate Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), with the designation set to take effect on November 24, 2025. The group is based in Venezuela and led by Nicolás Maduro along with other senior figures from what the U.S. government refers to as the "illegitimate Maduro regime." According to the announcement, these individuals have compromised Venezuela’s military, intelligence services, legislature, and judiciary.
"Neither Maduro nor his cronies represent Venezuela’s legitimate government," stated the Department of State.
Cartel de los Soles has reportedly collaborated with other designated terrorist organizations such as Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel. The U.S. claims these groups are responsible for acts of terrorist violence across the Americas and for trafficking drugs into both the United States and Europe.
"The United States will continue using all available tools to protect our national security interests and deny funding and resources to narco-terrorists," said the Department of State.
This move is made under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which stipulates that FTO designations become effective upon publication in the Federal Register. The Department also noted that Cartel de los Soles had previously been sanctioned by the Treasury Department under Executive Order 13224 [https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0207].