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Wetin we call dis foto, Di US tok say na members of Venezuela military dey lead di cartel but Venezuela govment don dismiss di allegations as a ‘ridiculous lie’Article Information25 November 2025, 10:23 WAT
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Di United States don designate di Cartel de los Soles (Spanish for Cartel of di Suns) as a foreign terrorist organisation.
US allege say na Venezuela president, Nicolás Maduro, plus senior figures for im govment dey head di group.
To label an organisation as a terrorist group give US law enforcement and military agencies broader powers to target and dismantle am.
In recent months, US don dey put pressure on Maduro, as dem say im govment dey illegitimate following last year election, wey many pipo say dey rigged.
Di designation give am anoda way to turn up di heat.
But questions don rise as to weda Cartel de los Soles actually exist. However, Venezuela foreign ministry don “categorically, firmly, and absolutely reject” di designation, wey e describe as a “new and ridiculous lie”.
Venezuela interior and justice minister, Diosdado Cabello, for long don call am “invention”.
Cabello, wey dey alleged to be one of di high-ranking members of di cartel, don accuse US officials say dem dey use excuse target pipo dem no like.
“Whenever pesin bother dem, dem go name di pesin as di head of di Cartel de los Soles,” e tok for August.
Gustavo Petro, di left-wing president of Venezuela neighbour, Colombia, don also deny di cartel existence.
“Na di fictional excuse of di far right to bring down govments wey no dey obey dem,” e write on X for August.
But di US state department no gree, dem say di Cartel de los Soles no only exist but e don “corrupt Venezuela military, intelligence, legislature, and judiciary”.
Experts wey di BBC follow tok say di truth lie for somewhere in between.
Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
Wetin we call dis foto, Di US govment allege say Nicolás Maduro dey lead di Cartel de los Soles
Di term Cartel de los Soles first come out for di early 1990s.
Na di Venezuelan media coin am afta di drug-trafficking allegations against one general wey dey in charge of counter-narcotic operations for Venezuela National Guard and dem refer to di sun-shaped badge wey generals dey wear on dia epaulettes to indicate dia rank.
Mike LaSusa, one expert for organised crime for di Americas wey be deputy content director for Insight Crime, tok say Venezuelan officials wit alleged links to drug trafficking begin dey use di moniker, regardless of weda dos officials dey part of di same organisation.
Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
Wetin we call dis foto, Di name “soles” (suns) come from di sun-shaped badge wey Venezuelan generals dey wear on dia uniforms.
Raúl BenÃtez-Manau, one organised crime expert from Mexico UNAM university, tok say di group activities start for di late 1980s and early 1990s in response to developments for neighbouring Colombia, di world largest producer of cocaine.
At di time, dem dey dismantle di powerful Medellin Cartel, wey based in di Columbian city wit di same name, and one major counter-narcotics offensive for di country dey bear fruit.
As established smuggling routes bin come under pressure, Mr BenÃtez-Manau argue say, di Cartel de los Soles start to dey provide alternative ways to transport cocaine from Colombia.
Dem grow strong during di early years of di presidency of Hugo Chávez, di left-wing president wey lead Venezuela from 1999 to im death for 2013, e tok.
“Chávez like to challenge di United States and cut all military co-operation ties between di Venezuelan army and di US,” e explain.
Without di oversight of di US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), “some [Venezuelan] army officers feel free to do business wit criminals”, Mr BenÃtez-Manau tok.
Facing military pressure at home, di guerrilla group bin move some operations go Venezuela, safe in di knowledge say Venezuelan president “see dem as leftist ideological allies”, Mr BenÃtez-Manau explain.
Wesley Tabor, one former DEA agent wey work for Venezuela, tok say di Farc no only find “a safe haven for Venezuela” but also many govment officials, “from street-level police to di military aviation”, soon bicom dia partners in drug trafficking.
Togeda, dem “begin flood di US wit hundreds of tonnes of cocaine”, e tok.
Wia dis foto come from, Reuters
Wetin we call dis foto, Former intelligence Chief Hugo Carvajal plead guilty to drug trafficking and narco-terrorism charges for US
Di Cartel de los Soles, different from oda drug networks bicos e lack a formal structure, Mr LaSusa tok.
No be group per se, e tok, but rather “a system of widespread corruption”.
E add say di economic crisis wey dey face Venezuela under President Chávez successor for office, Nicolás Maduro dey ginger di group.
“Di Maduro regime no fit offer security forces decent salary and, to keep dia loyalty, e allow dem to accept bribes from drug traffickers,” Mr LaSusa explain.
Mid- and lower-ranking officers wey dey control Venezuela key entry and exit points, like di airports, make up di Cartel de los Soles, Mr BenÃtez-Manau tok, as dem dey for di right position to facilitate di flow of drugs.
But US officials dey adamant say di tentacles of di Cartel de los Soles reach to di highest levels of di Maduro govment, including di president imself.
For 2020, di US justice department accuse Maduro and 14 odas say dem collabo wit armed Colombian groups to ship cocaine go United States.
Among di high-ranking officials dem mention na; Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino and di former head of Venezuela Supreme Court, Maikel Moreno.
For di charges, US prosecutors also allege say since at least 1999, Maduro, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, former military intelligence chief Hugo Carvajal, and former General ClÃver Alcalá dey lead di cartel.
Dem say information wey former high-ranking Venezuelan military officials – wey include Carvajal and Alcalá – provide back dis up.
Leamsy Salazar, one former security chief for di late Hugo Chávez, provide US officials wit information about di Cartel de los Soles for as early as 2014.
Salazar, wey don comot Venezuela wit di help of di DEA, tok say Interior Minister Cabello na di leader of Cartel de los Soles.
Cabello deny di allegation, e argue say di accuse na part of one “international conspiracy”.
But di accusations from former Venezuelan officials continue.
For 2020, Gen Alcalá bin hand ova imsef to DEA agents afta e fall out wit di Maduro govment, and e plead guilty to providing support to di Farc plus dia cocaine-trafficking operations.
Earlier dis year, former Venezuelan spymaster Carvajal – wey also run comot Venezuela afta e disagree wit Maduro – plead guilty for one US court, as well, to charges of drug-trafficking and narco-terrorism.
“Ova di years, im and oda officials for di Cartel de los Soles bin use cocaine as weapon, dem flood New York plus oda US cities wit poison,” one federal prosecutor tok about Carvajal, known as “El Pollo” (The Chicken), during di trial.
Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
Wetin we call dis foto, US dey offer reward for information wey go lead to di arrest of President Maduro and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello
Maduro and Interior Minister Cabello remain for Venezuela but di US recently increase dia rewards for information wey go lead to dia capture to $50m (£38m) and $25m respectively.
BBC contact Venezuelan govment for comment on US allegations but dem no receive response bifor publication.
However, di Maduro govment for long don dismiss di drug-trafficking accusations wey di US govment level against dem as attempt by di US to justify exiling Maduro.
For one statement released on Monday, 24 November, di Venezuelan foreign ministry call di designation of di Cartel de los Soles as a terrorist organisation “a ridiculous fabrication”.
E insist say Cartel de los Soles “no dey exist” plus say di move na “horrible lie to justify illegitimate and illegal intervention against Venezuela”.