Washington’s new ‘terror’ label for Venezuelan cartel marks a dangerous escalation |
The latest move by the United States to label the so-called Venezuelan Cartel de los Soles as a terrorist organization marks a dramatic escalation in Washington’s confrontation with Caracas. Framed by President Donald Trump and the State Department as an effort to counter narcoterrorism, the designation-set to take effect on November 24-signals far more than a symbolic tightening of diplomatic pressure. It introduces a new legal framework that could pave the way for unprecedented military or economic measures against the government of President Nicolás Maduro, whom Washington continues to call “illegitimate.”
For years, US administrations have wielded sanctions, indictments, and political isolation against Venezuela’s socialist leadership. Yet the decision to formally classify a “cartel” allegedly led by Maduro himself as a terrorist entity represents a shift toward blending counterterrorism authorities with foreign policy objectives. In practice, this opens a door that many analysts worry Washington may later be tempted to walk through: the door to direct intervention.
The State Department claims that the Cartel de los Soles-long mentioned in US indictments but never proven in a court of law-acts under the direction of Maduro and senior Venezuelan military officers. The name, derived from insignia worn by Venezuelan generals, has been circulating in Washington for more than a decade, though evidence linking the government to organized drug trafficking has remained contested. Maduro and his allies staunchly deny the accusations, saying they are politically motivated efforts to justify regime change.
Trump’s framing of the Venezuelan leadership as a “narcoterrorist” organization has enormous strategic value for Washington. Under US law, terrorist designations empower........