Cartel 'Headed By Maduro' Added To US Terrorist List
NewsweekJUL 26
Rubio Says Maduro Is Not the President of Venezuela
Above: Marco Rubio at the White House on July 14, 2025. Image copyright: Pedro Mattey/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Anti-Maduro narrative
Venezuela has become a hub for drug trafficking organizations and a haven for terrorist organizations under the illegitimate rule of Nicolás Maduro. Now that his Cartel de los Soles is finally under U.S. sanctions for supporting U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organizations, Washington is likely to take the right decision and move to designate the country a state sponsor of terrorism soon.
Pro-Maduro narrative
There is no reliable evidence that Maduro is involved with the Cartel de los Soles — nor is there substantiated proof of its engagement in illegal activities or even its very existence. Even if such a network exists in Venezuela, the U.S. has been exaggerating its scale and structure to justify military interventions and economic sanctions against the nation.