Pentagon Announces Designation of Venezuela’s Cartel of the Soles as Terrorist Organization

Pentagon Announces Designation of Venezuela’s Cartel of the Soles as Terrorist Organization

Pentagon Announces Designation of Venezuela’s Cartel of the Soles as Terrorist Organization
The U.S. Department of State will formally designate the Cartel of the Soles – a Venezuelan criminal network embedded within the state and allegedly led by President Nicolás Maduro – as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), the Pentagon announced Monday.
The designation, the ninth under the Trump administration since February and enacted pursuant to Executive Order 14157, marks a significant escalation in Washington’s campaign against narcoterrorism in the Western Hemisphere.

Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth hailed the move as a critical step that provides the Department of War with expanded authorities.

“This designation brings a whole bunch of new options,” Hegseth said. “It gives us more tools to provide options to the president and ensure our hemisphere is not run by narcoterrorists, not run by cartels, and not run by illegitimate regimes trying to impose anything on the American people. It’s just options – and we plan better than anybody in the world.”

 When pressed on potential military responses, Hegseth stressed that “nothing is automatically on the table,” but added that “nothing is off the table” when it comes to countering the Maduro-linked cartel.

 The designation takes effect immediately and follows a series of aggressive actions against transnational criminal organizations and hostile regimes in Latin America.


Excelsio Media

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