DEA targets Nicolas Maduro’s Cartel of the Suns in narco-terrorism case

The early-morning arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro sent shockwaves around the world, marking the most consequential move by the United States in its war against the dictator’s notorious “Cartel of the Suns.” 

Maduro was indicted alongside his wife, Cilia Flores, son and three alleged co-conspirators with federal gun and narcotics trafficking charges. The case, which mirrors original charges filed in the Southern District of New York in 2020, adds charges against Flores and was filed under seal last month. 

Maduro is facing four charges, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.

Federal prosecutors allege that for years, the Cartel of the Suns – or “Cartel de los Soles” – has worked in tandem with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) under Maduro’s leadership to execute a complex and large-scale cocaine trafficking network to funnel narcotics into the U.S.

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“The Venezuelan regime, once led by Nicolás Maduro Moros, remains plagued by criminality and corruption,” then-Attorney General William Barr said in a 2020 news release. “For more than 20 years, Maduro and a number of high-ranking colleagues allegedly conspired with the FARC, causing tons of cocaine to enter and devastate American communities.” 

U.S. officials’ war against Venezuela’s trafficking empire dates back to 1996, after the country was deemed one of the largest drug transit hubs within the Western Hemisphere, according to a 2009 report published by the United States Government Accountability Office. 

Venezuela’s shared border with Colombia – along with ongoing corruption within the country’s government – has long provided criminals with consistent resources to transport narcotics throughout the region.

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Since 2005, Venezuela’s cooperation with the U.S. regarding counternarcotic operations has significantly dwindled, denying visas to U.S. officials in 2007. One year later, then-President Hugo Chávez expelled the U.S. ambassador and recalled his ambassador from Washington, D.C., marking a significant blow to the two countries’ collaboration efforts. 

While Venezuela and the U.S. agreed to reinstate their ambassadors in 2009, Venezuelan officials insisted the country did not need to work alongside the U.S. in counternarcotic efforts due to the country’s own programs.

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In an effort to crack down on Venezuela’s trafficking networks, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has worked both within the country and domestically to capture the cartel’s key players. 

In 2018, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added Padrino Lopez, a general in the Venezuelan armed forces, to its Specially Designated Nationals List.

In 2020, the Department of Justice unsealed an indictment against Maduro and 14 co-conspirators, with charges stemming from investigations conducted in collaboration with the DEA.

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Five years later, Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios, a top general known as “El Pollo,” pleaded guilty to the same charges brought against Maduro. His conviction marked a notable victory for U.S. officials, with co-conspirator Cliver Antonio Alcala Cordones also pleading guilty to providing material support, including firearms, to the FARC. 

In 2025, OFAC sanctioned the Cartel of the Suns as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist due to its history of providing material support to Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel. Despite the accusations, a U.S. intelligence assessment comprised of 18 agencies later found no direct evidence of a connection between the cartels, according to The Associated Press. 

However, the indictment filed against Maduro alleges he, along with his family, facilitated “cocaine-fueled corruption to flourish for his own benefit, for the benefit of members of his ruling regime, and for the benefit of his family members.”

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Federal prosecutors allege Maduro “provided law enforcement cover and logistical support,” such as facilitating transport – such as boats and airplanes – to cartels moving drugs throughout the region. 

“This cycle of narcotics-based corruption lines the pockets of Venezuelan officials and their families while also benefiting violent narco-terrorists who operate with impunity on Venezuelan soil and who help produce, protect, and transport tons of cocaine to the United States,” the indictment adds. 

The DEA did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.