The U.S. The Department of State announced that the Venezuelan drug cartel, “Cartel de los Soles”, headed by illegitimate Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, will be labelled as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).
Secretary of State Marco Rubio released a statement, stating the State Department’s intentions to designate it as a terrorist group for its role in corrupting Venezuelan institutions of government and drug trafficking.
“[The Department of State] intends to designate Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). Headed by the illegitimate Nicolás Maduro, the group has corrupted the institutions of government in Venezuela and is responsible for terrorist violence conducted by and with other designated FTOs as well as for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe.” Rubio said.
Florida Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart, a staunch anti-Maduro advocate, released a statement shortly after, praising Rubio and President Donald Trump for their actions in combating the Venezuelan narco-state and Maduro’s regime.
“Maduro is the ringleader of a narcoterrorist network that fosters violence, drug trafficking, and threats against Americans. Thank you, [Marco Rubio] and President [Donald Trump], for your decisive leadership in protecting our country and holding these criminals accountable.” Díaz-Balart wrote.
Recently, unverified reports have come to light, stating that Maduro’s intentions to sabotage “key” facets of Venezuelan infrastructure and to blame either the United States or the opposition in the country for the damages.
“We are following reports that the narco-regime of Maduro might be preparing acts of sabotage against key infrastructure in Venezuela, including bridges, tunnels, and refineries, to later blame the United States or the democratic opposition," Florida Congressman Carlos Gimenez said. "Although they have not been verified, these allegations align with the desperate tactics of a collapsing dictatorship. The United States will continue to firmly support the Venezuelan people against tyranny, corruption, and any attempt by the regime to manufacture chaos or manipulate the truth for its political survival."
