The United States State Department has officially designated Maduro’s cartel, an organization linked by Washington to Venezuela’s military and government, as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO).
According to the United States, the cartel is headed by Maduro and engages in activities that threaten American citizens and national security, including drug trafficking to the United States and Europe.
From SDGT to FTO
The designation follows a previous July 2025 move by the United States Treasury Department that classified the cartel as a specially designated global terrorist entity (SDGT).
Experts say the FTO designation expands options for the Trump administration, ranging from sanctions to potential military measures, and while the designation itself does not authorize military action, it sets a legal basis for intervention in Venezuelan territory.
The announcement coincides with an increased United States military presence in the southern Caribbean, aimed at disrupting drug trafficking. Washington says recent operations have destroyed roughly twenty drug vessels and resulted in the deaths of 83 suspected traffickers.
Nicolás Maduro // Shutterstock