Exiles in Florida welcome designation of Venezuelan cartel as a terrorist group

Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald on Sep 17, 2025

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MIAMI — Members of the Venezuelan exile community in South Florida are applauding the growing international consensus to label the Cartel of the Suns, which the Trump administration says is run by high-level officials of the Venezuelan government, as a terrorist organization, following the example set by the United States.

“This measure is a significant step forward in the fight against narco-terrorism perpetrated by the Nicolás Maduro regime,” said the Organization of Venezuelan Political Persecuted in Exile in a statement released Wednesday. “The regime’s criminal network — made up of high-ranking Venezuelan officials — has long contributed to drug trafficking, money laundering, and regional destabilization.”

The group extended its “sincere gratitude” to the governments of the United States and to the Latin American nations that formally have recognized the Venezuelan drug trafficking organization as a terrorist group.

The Cartel of the Suns — allegedly led by the Venezuelan strongman and his second-in-command, Diosdado Cabello — has long been linked to international drug trafficking operations, illicit financial networks and efforts to undermine democratic institutions across Latin America.

“We urge authorities in these nations, as well as the broader international community, to intensify efforts to capture and extradite the leaders of this organization, including Nicolás Maduro, Diosdado Cabello, and other implicated officials,” the group’s statement continued.

A turning point came on July 25, when the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control officially designated the cartel as a global terrorist organization. According to Treasury, the cartel provides material support to foreign terrorist groups, including Tren de Aragua and Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel.

“This is not just a drug trafficking ring. This is a criminal enterprise that finances terrorism and seeks to destabilize democratic governments throughout the region,” the Treasury Department said in a press release.

The designation allows the U.S. to impose economic sanctions, freeze assets, and restrict the movement of individuals associated with the group.

Following the U.S. announcement, several Latin American governments swiftly followed suit:

— Ecuador: President Daniel Noboa issued a decree declaring the cartel a “terrorist organized crime group,” citing its ability to infiltrate state institutions.

— Paraguay: Formally labeled the cartel an “international terrorist organization.”

— Argentina: Added the cartel to its Public Registry of Persons and Entities Linked to Terrorism, enabling judicial and financial actions against associates.

— Peru: Congress approved a resolution designating the group as a terrorist organization.

— Dominican Republic: Adopted the same stance in early September.

— Colombia: The Senate passed a resolution this week declaring the cartel a direct threat to national and regional security.

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