CARACAS (Reuters) — The Venezuelan government today rejected what it called a “ridiculous” U.S. plan to designate the “nonexistent” Cartel de los Soles a terrorist organization, ahead of Washington’s expected designation later in the day.
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier this month his country would designate the Cartel de los Soles a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) for its alleged role in importing illegal drugs into the U.S..
The Trump administration, which alleges the cartel is made up of high-ranking officials, has accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of leading the group, which he denies. The move comes as Maduro faces escalating pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump via a massive U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean. It has also raised some concern that the U.S. may seek to use the designation of the group to justify military action, though sanctions experts said the statute does not authorize such a move.
Maduro and his government have always denied any involvement in crime and have accused the U.S. of seeking regime change because of a desire to control Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
“Venezuela categorically, firmly, and absolutely rejects the new and ridiculous fabrication by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of State, Marco Rubio, which designates the non-existent Cartel of the Suns as a terrorist organization,” said Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil on his Telegram account.
The measure revives “an infamous and vile lie to justify an illegitimate and illegal intervention against Venezuela, under the classic U.S. regime-change format. This new maneuver will meet the same fate as previous and recurring aggressions against our country: failure,” it added.
Reuters reported on Saturday that the U.S. is poised to launch a new phase of Venezuela-related operations in the coming days, though the news organization was not able to establish the exact timing or scope of the new operations, nor whether Trump had made a final decision to act.
The U.S. Treasury Department in July designated Cartel de los Soles, a reference to the sun insignia worn by Venezuelan generals, as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist,” a move that froze any of its U.S. assets and generally barred Americans from dealing with it.
InSight Crime, a foundation that analyzes organized crime, said in August that it was an “oversimplification” to say Maduro heads the cartel, saying that it “is more accurately described as a system of corruption wherein military and political officials profit by working with drug traffickers.”
By REUTERS
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