U.S. Declares Nicolás Maduro’s Cartel of the Suns as a “Foreign Terrorist Organization” and Elevates the Chavista Regime to Formal Enemy of the State Status: The Last Legal Step Before Military Action

Gateway Hispanic ^ | November 18, 2025 | Rafa Gómez-Santos Martín Posted on by Red Badger The United States government has taken one of the most forceful steps in recent decades against Nicolás Maduro’s regime. The State Department announced the designation of the Cartel of the Suns, a criminal structure directly linked to the Chavista apparatus, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), a measure that will take effect on November 24. With this declaration, Washington formally places the Venezuelan regime in the category of a state enemy. Until now, the Cartel of the Suns was listed only as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), a classification primarily focused on enforcing financial sanctions. But the FTO designation represents a qualitative leap: it allows the application of much stricter criminal, operational, and national security tools, including the possibility of prosecuting any individual or entity that provides material, financial, or logistical support to the cartel. U. S. authorities maintain that the Cartel of the Suns operates under the direct leadership of Nicolás Maduro and key figures of the Chavista regime, who have allegedly transformed state institutions -such as the military, intelligence, judiciary, and legislature- into instruments serving narcoterrorism. The accusation is unequivocal: a political regime transformed into a criminal organization with a state structure. Washington also points out that the Cartel of the Suns maintains active alliances with international criminal networks and groups responsible for violence in the hemisphere. These connections, according to the U. S. government, consolidate the terrorist nature of the Chavista apparatus, whose reach goes beyond Venezuelan borders. The FTO designation has immediate repercussions. Any person or company collaborating with the cartel may face criminal charges, asset freezes, disqualification from operating in the U. S., and even deportation. The U. S. government considers this measure as reinforcing national security, protecting American families, and preserving public order against external threats. The strategic context in which this announcement is made is particularly delicate: the United States has significantly increased its military presence in the Caribbean and areas near Venezuela, which analysts interpret as building the legal framework prior to more forceful decisions. The FTO designation, by its nature, constitutes the last legal threshold before considering higher-intensity actions. This move also exposes the responsibility of the international left, which for years has whitewashed, defended, or relativized the crimes of the Chavista regime under the rhetoric of anti-imperialism. While millions of Venezuelans suffered institutional devastation, repression, and economic collapse, much of the global progressive movement justified the disaster as a “popular project.” Today, the reality is undeniable: the model that some ideological sectors presented as an example of social justice is officially recognized as a terrorist structure. Washington’s decision marks a before and after. It not only intensifies pressure on Maduro’s regime but also redefines its nature before the international community. With this designation, the United States affirms its commitment to defending order, legitimate authority, national security, and traditional values against a regime that has fused political power with organized crime. For Chavismo, this is the point closest to direct confrontation; for the West, a reaffirmation that tolerance of leftist authoritarianism has only served to strengthen those who now emerge as global threats. TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government KEYWORDS: venezuela Click here: to donate by Credit Card Or here: to donate by PayPal Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC PO Box 9771 Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you. 1 posted on by Red Badger Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by.
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