As the Trump administration ramps up the pressure on Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, experts and former government officials have raised concerns about its move to designate Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization.
They argue it is not a formally organized cartel similar to criminal organizations in Colombia and Mexico, and it’s a stretch to suggest Maduro leads it, though there is government involvement in the drug trade.
They suggested the designation provides the administration a justification to take military action against the Venezuelan government.
US President Donald Trump suggested as much on Sunday, telling reporters that the designation could allow the US military to target Maduro’s assets and infrastructure inside Venezuela.
CNN has reached out to the State Department for comment.
What we know about Cartel de los Soles
Cartel de los Soles, which means cartel of the suns in English, is used to describe a decentralized network of Venezuelan groups within the armed forces l
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