By AFP | 2025-07-30

WASHINGTON -- The US Treasury on July 25 announced sanctions against a Venezuelan group, which it claims is led by the dictator Nicolas Maduro, alleging it backs leading drug cartels.

The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced restrictions on the Cartel of the Suns, classifying it as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity.

OFAC, which determines sanctions based on US foreign policy, says the group is "headed by Nicolas Maduro" and "other high-ranking Venezuelan individuals in the Maduro regime."

It alleged the cartel "provides material support" to the Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel -- criminal gangs designated by the US administration as terrorist groups.

"Today's action further exposes the illegitimate Maduro regime's facilitation of narco-terrorism through terrorist groups like Cartel de los Soles [Cartel of the Suns]," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.

In his first term, President Trump indicted Maduro and several of his top aides for "narco-terrorism" and offered a reward for their capture. Maduro rejected those allegations.

The Cartel of the Suns has the goal of "using the flood of illegal narcotics as a weapon against the United States," Washington said.

Relations between Washington and Caracas have been deteriorating for years.

In 2019, the United States contested Maduro's reelection, which the international community widely deemed fraudulent.

'Clandestine' resistance

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado called on July 28 for "clandestine" resistance against Maduro on the anniversary of his disputed reelection.

Electoral authorities declared Maduro the winner of the July 2024 election despite allegations of fraud. They never released a detailed breakdown of voting results.

The Venezuelan opposition says its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, is the true winner. The ex-diplomat fled into exile after the election, while Machado -- who was barred from standing in the election -- has gone into hiding.

Speaking in a social media video, Machado accused Maduro of being "so afraid of being invaded" and overthrown but said millions of people already in Venezuela will remove him from power.

Venezuelan authorities frequently accuse Machado of leading conspiracies against Maduro.

Almost 1,000 leaders, including those from Machado's closest circle, have been detained since the election.

Machado called for "the clandestine organization of all structures within Venezuela" to disobey tyranny and prepare for civic action "when the time comes."