Venezuela Rails Against ‘Ridiculous’ U.S. Terrorist Designation Of Maduro-Tied Cartel

Venezuela lashed out at the U.S. for designating a Maduro-linked cartel as a terrorist organization, calling it a “ridiculous fabrication” and claiming the group is “nonexistent” in a statement released Monday.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced earlier in November his intention to designate Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), saying the organization is tied to the Venezuelan despot. The U.S. has ramped up pressure on the Latin American regime in recent months by deploying an unprecedented number of military assets to the Southern Caribbean and launching strikes on suspected narco boats.

“Venezuela categorically, firmly, and absolutely rejects the new and ridiculous fabrication by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of State, Marco Rubio, which designates the non-existent Cartel of the Suns as a terrorist organization,” Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said on his Telegram account, according to a Reuters translation.

The foreign minister also alleged that the designation is only being made to “justify an illegitimate and illegal intervention against Venezuela, under the classic U.S. regime-change format.”

The terrorist designation is designed to hinder the cartel’s ability to use American assets by banning “material support or resources” from U.S. personnel, deeming members of the cartel ineligible for entry into the United States, and requiring that American financial institutions seize funds or assets tied to the cartel or its activities.

The State Department also alleged that Cartel de los Soles has collaborated with other notorious cartels, such as Tren de Aragua (TdA) and Cartel de Sinaloa, both of which also carry the FTO designation.

Whether the U.S. will launch a full-scale military action in Venezuela or seek regime change in the nation remains unclear, however sources told Reuters Sunday that a ramp-up of the current operation in the Caribbean is expected to take place.

The State Department did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.