The United States has taken a step of enormous diplomatic and military significance by designating Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and senior members of his government as members of an international terrorist organization. The decision, which takes effect this Monday, makes the Cartel of the Suns an entity officially listed as a terrorist organization by the State Department. This gives Washington the ability to impose new sanctions and, according to senior officials of the Donald Trump Administration, also opens the door to “expand options for military action within Venezuela”.
The measure comes at a time of maximum tension in the Caribbean, where the impressive U.S. military deployment has aroused international concern. The presence of the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier, the largest and most modern in the world, has raised the level of alert, especially after the confirmation of maneuvers with F-35 fighters and a contingent of around 15,000 soldiers.
A move that raises military tension in the Caribbean
The U.S. operation, called Southern Lance, already accumulates “20% of the U.S. naval power mobilized in the world” and has been officially presented as an initiative against drug trafficking. However, Maduro and other actors see in this deployment a possible prelude to an attempt to destabilize the Chavista regime.
Four senior U.S. officials consulted by Reuters assure that “the beginning of the second phase of the military operation is imminent”, just when several airlines have suspended flights over Venezuela following the recommendation of U.S. aviation to avoid the area due to the risk of escalation.
Despite the military noise, the White House is keeping quiet. Trump remained in Washington on Sunday and “has not wanted to enjoy golf practice,” a significant anomaly in his usual schedule. Meanwhile, Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio is in Geneva participating in meetings on the peace plan for Ukraine.
What does declaring the Cartel de los Soles a terrorist organization imply?
The inclusion of the Cartel of the Suns on the list of foreign terrorist organizations alongside groups such as Al Qaeda or the Islamic State does not automatically equate to authorization to use force, but it does create a legal framework for future actions.
In February, the US had already included Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel, and now adds this figure that, according to experts, does not function as a traditional cartel. In the words of think tank Insightcrime: “The Cartel of the Suns functions as a loose network of cells within the army, navy, air force and Bolivarian National Guard… It is unclear how, if at all, these cells relate to each other.
Washington, for its part, has gone further: it has labeled Maduro as the leader of the cartel and doubled the reward for his capture to $50 million. For the US, the designation allows it to block transactions and prosecute anyone connected to the network.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was explicit: “It gives our Department more tools to offer options to the president“. Trump reinforced the idea by pointing out that the measure would allow attacking “Maduro’s infrastructure and assets in Venezuela”, although without closing the door to dialogue.
The shadow of covert operations
Reuters has reported that the “new phase” mentioned by Trump could begin in a matter of days. Two of the sources consulted state that it would start with covert missions and two others point out that the ultimate goal could be the fall of Maduro himself.
The State Department puts it this way: “Based in Venezuela, the Cartel of the Suns is led by Nicolás Maduro and other high-ranking individuals in Maduro’s illegitimate regime. It adds that these actors “have corrupted Venezuela’s Armed Forces, intelligence, legislature, and judiciary.”
The most controversial step came this Tuesday, when The New York Times published that Trump had given the green light to a plan for covert CIA actions in Venezuelan territory. The newspaper clarified that “it was not clear what kind of exact actions” could be carried out, nor their timetable.
A crisis that worries the region
The operation has already gutted a score of suspected drug traffickers and killed at least 83 people. The United States maintains that all actions taken so far are limited to the fight against drug trafficking.
Maduro, however, considers that the real objective is “to try to force the fall of the Chavista leader”, whom Washington does not recognize as a legitimate president.
Meanwhile, the Caribbean is experiencing growing tension: air restrictions, diplomatic uncertainty and a climate of alert that recalls episodes of the past. The fear that the terrorist designation is the prelude to a military intervention keeps analysts, regional governments and international organizations on tenterhooks.
The new phase of this crisis (political, military and diplomatic) could be activated at any moment. And, with it, Venezuela’s immediate future could enter an even more unpredictable terrain.
