Is the ‘Cartel of the Suns’ real? The alleged network behind US strikes on Venezuela

The recent US operation claiming to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has once again shone a spotlight on the so-called Cartel de los Soles, an alleged network of corruption and drug trafficking involving Venezuela’s military and political elite.

While the group has long been cited in US government reports, its formal designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) by the Trump administration marks a significant escalation in Washington’s strategy to pressure the Maduro government.

What is the Cartel de los Soles?

The term, Spanish for Cartel of the Suns, originated in 1993 as a journalistic label describing corruption among Venezuelan generals. The “soles” refer to the sun-shaped insignia on the uniforms of high-ranking officers. Over the years, the name has evolved into shorthand for a network of officials allegedly profiting from drug trafficking, illegal mining, smuggling, and money laundering.

Jeremy McDermott, codirector of InsightCrime, told CNN the cartel “is not a traditional, vertically organised drug-trafficking organisation. It is … a series of normally disconnected cells embedded within the Venezuelan military”.

Experts caution, however, that Cartel de los Soles is not a traditional, hierarchical drug cartel. Instead, it represents a system of widespread corruption, where military officers and political leaders allegedly collaborate with criminal networks for profit. Independent analyses question claims that Nicolás Maduro personally commands the organisation, describing US allegations as lacking direct evidence.

US strategy and the Maduro capture

In the months leading up to the reported capture of Maduro, the United States ramped up pressure on Caracas. The Trump administration repeatedly threatened military action, conducted strikes on suspected cartel-linked sites, and deployed thousands of troops and naval assets to the southern Caribbean. In August 2025 alone, 4,500 US troops and several warships were sent in a counter-narcotics operation targeting networks, including the Cartel de los Soles.

Also Read: Venezuela announces ‘massive deployment’ of military after US strike

The FTO designation, effective November 24, 2025, provides US law enforcement and military agencies with broader powers to act against individuals and entities associated with the group. Analysts argue this move also serves a political purpose, providing a legal rationale for exerting pressure on the Maduro government and potentially facilitating regime change.

Venezuela’s role in global drug trade

While Venezuela is not a primary producer of cocaine or synthetic opioids like fentanyl, it serves as a transit hub for Colombian cocaine, estimated at roughly 400 tons annually, most of it bound for Europe. US officials have highlighted Venezuela’s “degree of state control” over aspects of the drugs trade, which makes it distinct from neighbouring transit countries.

The designation of the Cartel de los Soles has not gone unchallenged. Venezuela’s foreign ministry has “categorically rejected” the label as a “new and ridiculous lie.” Critics argue that portraying the network as a top-down, ideologically driven cartel oversimplifies the reality of decentralised corruption, where profit, not ideology, drives criminal activity.