"The move planned Monday comes as Trump evaluates whether to take military action against Venezuela, which Trump has not ruled out despite bringing up the possibility of talks with Maduro. Land strikes or other actions would be a major expansion of the monthslong operation that has included a massive military buildup in the Caribbean Sea and striking boats accused of trafficking drugs, killing more than 80 people."
"Venezuelans began using the term Cartel de los Soles in the 1990s to refer to high-ranking military officers who had grown rich from drug-running. As corruption later expanded nationwide, first under the late President Hugo Chavez and then under Maduro, its use loosely expanded to police and government officials as well as activities like illegal mining and fuel trafficking. The "suns" in the name refer to the epaulettes affixed to the uniforms of high-ranking military officers."
The Trump administration will designate the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization to increase pressure on President Nicolas Maduro. The U.S. alleges Maduro leads the entity, but the label more accurately describes a loose umbrella of corrupt military, police and government officials involved in drug-running, illegal mining and fuel trafficking. The designation follows a 2020 U.S. Justice Department indictment of Maduro and associates on narcoterrorism charges and recent U.S. actions including maritime strikes and a Caribbean military buildup. The move accompanies consideration of possible military options, escalating efforts to disrupt drug trafficking into the United States.
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