The administration of US President Donald Trump may expand its powers to take action against Venezuela starting Monday, as the US has listed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his allies in the government as members of a foreign terrorist organization, UNN reports with reference to CNN.
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The classification of Cartel de los Soles, which experts say describes allegedly corrupt government officials rather than an organized criminal group, as a foreign terrorist organization would allow President Donald Trump to impose new sanctions targeting Maduro's assets and infrastructure. However, according to lawyers, this provision does not directly authorize the use of lethal force.
However, administration officials argue that this designation — one of the State Department's most serious counterterrorism tools — would give the US expanded military capabilities to strike Venezuelan territory.
According to experts, the term Cartel de los Soles is used to describe a decentralized network of Venezuelan groups within the armed forces involved in drug trafficking. The Venezuelan president has always denied any personal involvement in drug trafficking, and his government has repeatedly denied the existence of the alleged cartel, which, according to some experts, technically does not exist in the generally accepted sense.
The announcement of the listing, made on November 16, followed the deployment of more than a dozen warships and 15,000 troops by the US military to the region as part of an operation the Pentagon calls "Southern Spear." The US military has killed dozens of people in boat strikes as part of its anti-drug trafficking campaign.
Senior officials have briefed Trump on various options for action inside Venezuela, including strikes on military or government targets and special forces raids. The option of inaction also remains.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Kane and his senior advisor David Isom will visit Puerto Rico on Monday to thank service members supporting missions in the Caribbean.
US prepares for new phase of Venezuela operations – Reuters23.11.25, 16:01 • [views_5395]
The publication notes that there is some public opposition to US intervention in the region's relations. According to a CBS News/YouGov poll published on Sunday, 70% of Americans oppose US military action in Venezuela, while 30% support it. 76% of respondents said that the Trump administration has not clearly explained the US position on military action.
Officially, the Trump administration says it is working to reduce illegal migrant and drug flows, but regime change could be one of the side effects of these efforts. According to a US official, Trump hopes that the pressure will be sufficient to force Maduro to resign without direct military action.
Trump has expressed some willingness for a diplomatic settlement, saying last week that Maduro "would like to talk," and later indicating that he was willing to talk to him "at some point."
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In a sign of escalating tensions, the US on Thursday conducted its largest military demonstration off the coast of Venezuela: at least six US aircraft appeared off the country's coast for several hours, including an F/A-18E supersonic fighter jet, a B-52 strategic bomber, and a reconnaissance aircraft, according to a reconnaissance aircraft.
And last weekend, three international airlines canceled their flights from Venezuela after the US Federal Aviation Administration warned major airlines about a "potentially dangerous situation" when flying over the country, Reuters reports.