U.S. Department of State
11/16/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/16/2025 17:07
Terrorist Designations of Cartel de los Soles
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Terrorist Designations of Cartel de los Soles
Press Statement
Marco Rubio, Secretary of State
November 16, 2025
The Department of State intends to designate Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), effective November 24, 2025. Based in Venezuela, the Cartel de los Soles is headed by Nicolás Maduro and other high-ranking individuals of the illegitimate Maduro regime who have corrupted Venezuela's military, intelligence, legislature, and judiciary. Neither Maduro nor his cronies represent Venezuela's legitimate government. Cartel de los Soles by and with other designated FTOs including Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel are responsible for terrorist violence throughout our hemisphere as well as for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe.
The United States will continue using all available tools to protect our national security interests and deny funding and resources to narco-terrorists.
Today's action is taken pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. FTO designations go into effect upon publication in the Federal Register. Cartel de los Soles was previously designated by the Department of the Treasury pursuant to Executive Order 13224
[https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0207].
Tags
Bureau of Counterterrorism Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Counterterrorism Office of the Spokesperson The Secretary of State Terrorism and Terrorist Organizations Terrorist Designation Venezuela
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