President Javier Milei’s government in Argentina has designated the ‘Cártel de los Soles’ (Cartel of the Suns) as a terrorist and narco-criminal organisation, adding it to the official registry of groups tied to illicit financing.
The decision formally places the alleged Venezuelan-linked network on Argentina’s Public Registry of Persons and Entities connected with Acts of Terrorism and their Financing (RePET), overseen by the Justice Ministry.
In a statement, the Casa Rosada said the measure was based on reports citing the group’s involvement in transnational crimes including drug-trafficking, smuggling and illegal resource exploitation.
By adding the group to RePET, the Milei government intends to bolster preventive and punitive tools against terrorism financing and organised crime, while enhancing international cooperation on security and justice.
The move follows recent steps taken by the United States and reflects Argentina’s commitments under international counter-terrorism agreements, said the government in Buenos Aires.
The move reinforces Argentina’s alignment with the Washington-led hemispheric security agenda.
The Cártel de los Soles has been described by US authorities as a criminal and terrorist organisation. Washington says it has been led by senior figures from Venezuela’s Armed Forces since the 1990s.
The United States says the group is “headed by” Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and "other high-ranking Venezuelan individuals in the Maduro regime," including ruling party strongman Diosdado Cabello – an allegation Caracas has rejected as a "ridiculous smokescreen."
It also alleges the cartel "provides material support" to the Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel – criminal gangs designated by Trump's administration as terrorist groups.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described the Cártel de los Soles as a criminal enterprise masquerading as a government.
Trump’s administration has pursued sanctions and legal action against alleged cartel members.
In recent days, Washington has ramped up pressure on Maduro, sending three US warships to Venezuela’s coast.
Maduro has accused the United States of attempting to effect regime change and launched a drive to sign up thousands of militia members to protect Venezuela’s sovereignty.
While right-wing governments and officials across the Americas have backed the cartel theory, several leftist leaders have rejected it as politically motivated.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said recently the ‘Cártel de los Soles’ “does not exist” and called it a “fictitious excuse by the right to topple governments.”
Trump’s second-term administration has taken a particularly assertive approach to narcotics-trafficking. The United States designated eight drug-trafficking groups with Latin American roots – including Venezuela's Tren de Aragua and Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel – as terror groups back in February.
– TIMES/NA/AFP
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