(MENAFN) The United States’ decision to designate a group tied to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as a “foreign terrorist organization (FTO)” will give Washington broader legal and military options, said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Speaking to media, Hegseth said the move “brings a whole bunch of new options to the United States,” reiterating that the U.S. does not view Maduro as a legitimate leader and accusing him of drug trafficking—a claim Maduro has repeatedly denied.
The FTO designation targets the Cartel de los Soles, announced earlier this week by the State Department. Under the measure, providing material support to the group constitutes a federal crime. U.S. officials assert that the cartel collaborates with Tren de Aragua, another criminal organization already designated as an FTO, in smuggling narcotics into the United States.

According to a statement, the designation will take effect on November 24, 2025, noting that the cartel is “headed by Nicolas Maduro and other high-ranking individuals of the illegitimate Maduro regime who have corrupted Venezuela’s military, intelligence, legislature, and judiciary.”

The move coincides with a major U.S. military buildup in the region, including an aircraft carrier group and F-35 fighter jets. Tensions have risen since August, when Trump ordered military deployments to the Caribbean aimed at striking drug cartels allegedly linked to Maduro. Since then, U.S. forces have carried out 21 strikes on vessels said to be transporting drugs, resulting in 83 deaths, while Trump has suggested potential operations against alleged trafficking targets on Venezuelan soil.

U.S. officials frame the FTO designation as both a legal and strategic tool, expanding the government’s ability to act against the cartel while signaling continued pressure on the Maduro regime.

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