The United States Department of State has announced its intention to designate Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), effective November 24. The announcement, made on November 16 by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, accuses the cartel of being based in Venezuela and led by President Nicolás Maduro. The statement further alleges that high-ranking officials within Maduro’s regime are involved in the cartel, which has allegedly corrupted Venezuela’s military, intelligence, legislature, and judiciary. The US government asserts that neither Maduro nor his associates represent Venezuela’s legitimate government. The release also claims that Cartel de los Soles, alongside other designated FTOs such as Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel, is responsible for terrorist violence across the hemisphere and drug trafficking into the United States and Europe. The US vows to utilize all available tools to safeguard national security interests and disrupt funding to narco-terrorists. The designation was made under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and will take effect upon publication in the Federal Register. This move follows recent debates among US politicians regarding the legality of President Trump’s military strikes on alleged narco-terrorist boats in the southern Caribbean Sea, which resulted in numerous casualties.