Table of Contents
The United States has designed the Los Soles Cartel based in Venezuela as a terrorist group and said it was led by the president of the South American country Nicolás Maduro.
The Ministry of the Treasury for the Control of Foreign Active (OFAC) announced that it had sanctioned the cartel as a specially designated global terrorist organization.
The OFAC press release said the group supports foreign terrorist organizations threatening the United States peace and security, namely Aragua train and the Sinaloa cartel. Nowsweek Contacted the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Comments.
Federico Parra / Getty Images
Why it matters
The Trump administration is committed to suppressing drug trafficking, targeting in particular Latin American gangs.
About 250 Venezuelans were expelled from the United States to a prison in El Salvador after the president Donald Trump Invokes a law old centuries intended to be used in wartime, due to the “invasion” of alleged members of the Gang Tren of Aragua appointed in the Declaration of the OFAC.
The men were returned to an agreement With the United States that has seen the release of 10 Americans detained in Venezuela. The decision on the LOS cartel can add pressure on the Caracas and the Maduro regime that the United States considers illegitimate, having already issued an outstanding order for its capture.
What to know
On Friday, in a statement, the OFAC said that he had sanctioned the Los Soles cartel, which he described as a criminal group based in Venezuela led by Maduro and other high -ranking Venezuelan people in his diet.
The press release indicates that the group provides support for foreign terrorist organizations threatening peace and security in the United States, namely Tren of Aragua and the Sinaloa cartel-one of the most powerful groups in Mexico that traditions drugs in the United States
The press release indicates that Tren of Aragua was involved in the illicit trade in drugs, smuggling and human trafficking, extortion, sexual exploitation of women and children and money laundering, among other criminal activities.
On February 20, 2025, the State Department appointed Tren of Aragua and the Sinaloa cartel as a specially designated foreign terrorist (FTTO) and terrorist organizations.
This comes after the United States has restored the capacity of Chevron Corp. To pump the oil in Venezuela, overthrowing a previous decision when the Trump administration sought to exert more pressure on the Maduro regime.
What people say
Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent in a press release: “The Treasury Department will continue to run on President Trump’s commitment to put America first by suppressing violent organizations, notably Tren of Aragua, the Sinaloa cartel and their facilitators, such as the Los cartel.”
Senator Rick Scott, (R-FL) on X: “Americans are safer now that it is more difficult for this disgusting gang to terrorize our country by flooding it with fatal drugs.”
What happens next
OFAC’s decision will block all the property and interest related to the LOS card card and was greeted by the Florida Senator Rick Scott Who posted on X that “the Americans are safer now”. This could also add to international pressure against Maduro.
