Overview
- The State Department says the designation takes effect on November 24, placing the group alongside FTOs such as Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel.
- U.S. officials allege the network is led by President Nicolás Maduro and senior aides, a claim Venezuela rejects.
- In July, Treasury labeled the group a specially designated international terrorist entity, and in August the Justice Department offered a $50 million reward tied to narcotrafficking charges against Maduro.
- U.S. military deployments in the Caribbean and Pacific have grown, with the largest U.S. aircraft carrier arriving Sunday as part of stepped-up interdiction operations.
- President Trump said the new label could permit targeting of Maduro’s assets without new congressional authorization, though he did not say such action will occur.