Overview
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced he intends to designate the Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
- Rubio accused the network of being led by Nicolás Maduro and of enabling drug trafficking and violence tied to other designated groups.
- An FTO label would trigger criminal penalties for providing material support and allow U.S. actions targeting the cartel’s assets.
- Venezuela launched nationwide land, air, and naval exercises ordered by Maduro, with Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López citing a goal to optimize command, control, and communications, and the Bolivarian Militia participating.
- The drills coincide with the USS Gerald R. Ford strike group’s regional operations after a redeployment from Europe, while reports of drone strikes on cartel-linked ships and Caracas’s charge of U.S. destabilization remain disputed by the Pentagon.