In March 2020, the United States Department of Justice made a significant judicial move: a federal indictment against Nicolás Maduro and other top Venezuelan officials, charging them with operating the Cartel de los Soles, a criminal organization composed of high-ranking military officials engaged in large-scale cocaine trafficking to the United States.
This indictment was already historic, citing over 250 tons of cocaine shipped with official protection, alliances with FARC to operate routes, and the exploitation of the Venezuelan state apparatus to shield the illicit trade. However, as we move into 2025, this case has taken an even darker and more deadly turn.
New charges: cocaine laced with fentanyl
The Attorney General of the United States has expanded the indictment to include charges of trafficking tons of cocaine adulterated with fentanyl, a deadly cocktail that, according to investigators, aimed to boost profits and hook consumers quicker. This practice elevates the indictment to a level of chemical terrorism due to the risk of mass deaths and the intent to use drugs as a tool for social instability.
Designation as a terrorist organization
Alongside the drug trafficking charges, the State Department and the Department of Justice have taken a decisive step: designating the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization. This not only intensifies penalties but also allows for the pursuit of any accomplices or facilitators in third countries with the legal tools typical of anti-terrorism efforts.
The financial network: banks and tax havens
Prosecutors detail that the Cartel de los Soles utilized international banks, correspondent banks, and tax havens to launder profits. From transactions disguised as business operations to the use of shell companies in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, the regime’s financial structure sought to obscure billions of dollars derived from drug sales.
International links: regimes and agencies
Investigations reveal direct connections with ally governments and regimes, such as Iran, Russia, and Syria, in addition to contacts with corrupt agencies and officials in Africa and Eastern Europe. These ties have facilitated the movement of shipments, obtaining diplomatic protection, and acquiring surveillance technology to secure drug trafficking routes.
One of the largest drug trafficking and terrorism cases in the U.S.
Analysts agree that this case is already one of the largest and most complex criminal conspiracies faced by U.S. justice. It combines transnational organized crime, state corruption, terrorism, trafficking of adulterated drugs, and money laundering on a global scale.
The trial and new evidence will set a legal and political precedent in the fight against regimes that, rather than combat drug trafficking, turn it into their survival engine.