Treasury Sanctions Venezuelan Cartel Headed by Maduro

WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the Cartel de los Soles (a.k.a. Cartel of the Suns) as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.  Cartel de los Soles is a Venezuela-based criminal group headed by Nicolas Maduro Moros and other high-ranking Venezuelan individuals in the Maduro regime that provides material support to foreign terrorist organizations threatening the peace and security of the United States, namely Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel.

 “Today’s action further exposes the illegitimate Maduro regime’s facilitation of narco-terrorism through terrorist groups like Cartel de los Soles,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “The Treasury Department will continue to execute on President Trump’s pledge to put America First by cracking down on violent organizations including Tren de Aragua, the Sinaloa Cartel, and their facilitators, like Cartel de los Soles.”

TREN DE ARAGUA AND THE SINALOA CARTEL: VIOLENT NARCO-TERRORISTS

Today, OFAC is sanctioning the Cartel de los Soles, which has provided material support to Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel.  Tren de Aragua is a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) that originated in Venezuela and is involved in the illicit drug trade, human smuggling and trafficking, extortion, sexual exploitation of women and children, and money laundering, among other criminal activities.  The Sinaloa Cartel is an FTO and one of the oldest and most powerful cartels in Mexico, responsible for a significant portion of deadly drugs trafficked into the United States from Mexico.  In addition to trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and other illicit drugs into the United States, the Sinaloa Cartel is engaged in widespread violence.  On February 20, 2025, the Department of State designated both Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel as FTOs and Specially Designated Global Terrorists.  Treasury previously sanctioned Tren de Aragua as a significant transnational criminal organization on July 11, 2024.  The Sinaloa Cartel was identified by the United States as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker on April 15, 2009 pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act.  On December 15, 2021, OFAC also designated the Sinaloa Cartel pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14059. 

ILLUMINATING THE CARTEL OF THE SUNS

Based in Venezuela, the Cartel de los Soles (a.k.a. Cartel of the Suns) is headed by Nicolas Maduro Moros and other Venezuelan high-ranking individuals in the Maduro regime who corrupted the institutions of government in Venezuela, including parts of the military, intelligence apparatus, legislature, and the judiciary, to assist the cartel’s endeavors of trafficking narcotics into the United States. 

The cartel’s name is derived from the sun insignias often portrayed on the uniforms of Venezuelan military officials. 

The Cartel de los Soles supports Tren de Aragua in carrying out its objective of using the flood of illegal narcotics as a weapon against the United States.  Additionally, the Cartel de los Soles has provided support to the Sinaloa Cartel. 

Today, OFAC is sanctioning Cartel de los Soles pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Tren de Aragua.  Additionally, OFAC is sanctioning Cartel de los Soles pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, the Sinaloa Cartel.

SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS

As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated person described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons is blocked and must be reported to OFAC.  In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.  Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of blocked persons. 

Violations of U.S. sanctions may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties on U.S. and foreign persons.  OFAC may impose civil penalties for sanctions violations on a strict liability basis.  OFAC’s Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines provide more information regarding OFAC’s enforcement of U.S. economic sanctions. In addition, financial institutions and other persons may risk exposure to sanctions for engaging in certain transactions or activities involving designated or otherwise blocked persons. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated or blocked person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person. 

Furthermore, engaging in certain transactions involving the person designated today may risk the imposition of secondary sanctions on participating foreign financial institutions.  OFAC can prohibit or impose strict conditions on opening or maintaining, in the United States, a correspondent account or a payable-through account of a foreign financial institution that knowingly conducts or facilitates any significant transaction on behalf of a person who is designated pursuant to the relevant authority.

The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC’s ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List), but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law.  The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior.  For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, or to submit a request, please refer to OFAC’s guidance on Filing a Petition for Removal from an OFAC List.

Source: https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0207