The Department of the Treasury did not name any new specific individuals on the list of sanctioned persons beyond the Venezuelan president. Photo: Rob Young.
Guacamaya, July 26, 2025 — On Friday, the United States designated the so-called Cartel of the Suns, a criminal organization allegedly linked to the Venezuelan government, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity. Although the criminal network is said to include high-ranking officials from Nicolás Maduro’s government, the statement made no individual designations beyond him.
The action was carried out by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and formalized by the Department of the Treasury. The announcement identifies the alleged Venezuelan organization as a collaborator with foreign terrorist groups such as the Sinaloa Cartel and the Tren de Aragua, the latter also linked to the Venezuelan Executive.
“Today’s action further exposes the illegitimate Maduro regime’s facilitation of narco-terrorism through terrorist groups like the Cartel of the Suns,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “The Department of the Treasury will continue fulfilling President Trump’s promise to put America first by taking strong measures against violent organizations,” he added.
The measure involves freezing assets under U.S. jurisdiction of the designated persons, as well as prohibiting any financial or commercial interactions with U.S. citizens and companies. However, beyond the mention of Maduro, the statement does not designate any new linked individuals, leaving the scope of the sanction unclear.
This fact is particularly striking, as it contrasts with previous sanctions that individually penalized generals, officials, and businessmen linked to the network. The omission may be due to previously declared sanctions on high officials or may be employed as a tactical flexibility strategy that allows for possible future negotiations.
The Venezuelan government has consistently dismissed the accusations and the links as a smear campaign and a political maneuver against them. So far, official sources have not issued a direct response to the new announcement, although various government figures have at times labeled the existence of the cartel as fictitious.
