U.S. Naval Deployment Near Venezuela Escalates Tensions, Accusing Maduro of Leading Cartel de los Soles

Tensions between the United States and Venezuela have escalated amid accusations from Washington that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro leads the Cartel de los Soles, a criminal organization involved in narcotrafficking. U.S. officials and analysts characterize Venezuela as a major cocaine producer under a hybrid criminal governance system established by Maduro. The Washington Office on Latin America, through its president Carolina Jiménez, has expressed skepticism about Maduro's claims of mass militia enlistment and noted the lack of a clear U.S. strategy toward Venezuela. Jiménez also indicated that the recent U.S. naval deployment near Venezuela appears to be politically motivated, aiming to intimidate the Venezuelan government rather than focusing on anti-narcotics efforts. Despite rising tensions, she dismissed the likelihood of a military invasion. Meanwhile, Jeremy McDermott, cofounder of Insight Crime, highlighted Maduro's regime as financially unstable, having ceded criminal fiefdoms to politicians and military officials to maintain loyalty. A U.S. congressman has further labeled Maduro as the head of a narcotics and terrorist cartel allied with Mexican and Colombian drug groups.