US to Designate Cartel Allegedly Run by Maduro as Terrorist Organization: Rubio

Officials accuse Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of overseeing a cocaine-trafficking conspiracy and using violent drug cartels to consolidate his power.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives for the G7 Session on Ukraine and Defense Cooperation during the G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting at the White Oaks Resort in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, on Nov. 12, 2025. Mandel Ngan/Pool via Reuters

The United States will designate the Venezuelan Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Nov. 16.

The administration has alleged that the Cartel de los Soles, or Cartel of the Suns, is led by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and other high-ranking officials in the Venezuelan government and manages an international cocaine-smuggling operation. Maduro has denied the allegation.