President Donald Trump just dropped a political bombshell by officially labeling Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro and his team as foreign terrorists. The State Department confirmed this on Monday, which means Trump now has some serious power to impose sanctions and ramp up military pressure on what’s known as the “Cartel de los Soles.” This network is made up of military leaders and government insiders accused of drug trafficking and money laundering.
The reclassification comes at a time when tensions between the US and Venezuela are really high. Recently, many American warships and over a thousand troops have arrived near Venezuelan shores as part of “Operation Southern Spear,” which is Pentagon’s largest show of force in the Caribbean in years, according to CNN. The Trump administration says this military presence gives them provides “broader military options for anti-drug and anti-corruption operations.” But legal experts warn that just because they are now labeled as terrorists, it doesn’t give them the go-ahead for outright attacks.
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump and Marco Rubio are OFFICIALLY designating Maduro-led Cartel de los Soles a foreign terrorist organization today
Maduro is furious.
The pressure is palpable. pic.twitter.com/aPlZiPdKRv
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 24, 2025
Back in Caracas, Maduro is not backing down. He’s calling Trump’s claims “ridiculous lies.” He also warns about immediate action. Venezuela’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs slammed the terror label as just US propaganda designed to justify a possible invasion. Maduro insists he’s just a target of Washington’s attempts to control how he runs his country.
What exactly is “Cartel de los Soles”? The term, which means Cartel of the Suns, goes back as far as the 1990s. At the time, top military officials in Venezuela, wearing sun symbols on their uniforms, were accused of cashing in on drug trafficking. Over the years, this label has expanded to include police officers, politicians, and mining officials who are thought to be part of Venezuela’s corruption scene. In 2020, the US Justice Department famously charged Maduro and his associates with “narcoterrorism,” raising the stakes on his government.
It is done.
“Cartel de los Soles” which is the name the US has given Maduro and the Venezuelan generals involved in drug trade, has been marked a Foreign terrorist Organization by the State Department as of this morning.
Escalation in Venezuela 🇻🇪 expected in the coming days. pic.twitter.com/35WqLe39vD
— Thomas van Linge (@ThomasVLinge) November 24, 2025
Their structure is one of the reasons it has been hard to pin them, reports NPR. As Adam Isaacson director for defense oversight at the Washington Office on Latin America Organization puts it, “”It’s not like a group that people would ever identify themselves as members. They don’t have regular meetings. They don’t have a hierarchy.”
The stakes have escalated as US military strikes have resulted in 80 casualties so far. Military troops target vessels supposedly linked to drug trafficking. UN officials and international law experts are concerned about Washington stepping outside the law and warning about “extrajudicial killings.”
In the US, various options ranging from secret raids to open attacks against government sites were presented to Trump. The administration hopes that by increasing the pressure, Maduro will resign without a full-blown conflict. However, many Americans seem skeptical. A CBS News/YouGov poll shows that 70% oppose direct military action, with most saying that the White House hasn’t clearly communicated its intentions.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro danced to a musical remix of his own “No War, Yes Peace” speech during a Student Day march in Caracas, urging the youth in Venezuela and the U.S. to engage in dialogue and promote peace as the U.S. escalates military pressure. pic.twitter.com/7yAj8265GW
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 24, 2025
With diplomatic efforts stopped, Washington still claims it’s focused on fighting drug trafficking and reducing illegal immigration from Venezuela. But with US jets buzzing around and allies worried about further escalation, it feels like closer to a standoff than ever. Airlines from Spain, Portugal, Colombia, Brazil, and Turkey have already canceled flights in anticipation for whatever might happen next.
For now, the Venezuelan government is standing firm while Trump refuses to back down. Both leaders appear confident that they can outlast each other. As tensions rise, everyone is keeping an eye on who will give in first.
