Pentagon Cites Expanded Operational Capabilitiesโ Following Terrorist Designation of Cartel of the Suns
Following President Donald Trump’s decisionโค to designate the Cartel of the Suns, linked to Nicolรกs maduro, as a foreign terrorist institution, United States Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth stated the Pentagon now possesses a “wide range of new โoptions” โfor potential action. Reuters โฃreportedโ on the Secretary’s comments.
Hegseth made the remarks during an interview โขwith One America News, excerpts of which wereโ released on Thursday. He reiterated the U.S.position that โคMaduro “isโฃ not a โขlegitimatelyโ elected leader ofโค Venezuela,” and reaffirmed โขaccusations of drugโฃ trafficking, โclaims โMaduro has consistently denied.
The designation wasโค announced days โขprior by โคSecretary of State Marco Rubio,who explained that classifying the Cartel of the โSuns asโค a terrorist group would make providing material supportโค to the organization a federal crime โfor anyone operating within U.S. territory. The measureโ isโค scheduled โฃto take โeffect on โฃmonday.
U.S.authorities allege the Cartel ofโค the Suns maintains operational ties withโข the โคaragua โTrain,aโข Venezuelan criminal organization previously designated as a terrorist group by Washington.These accusations โcenter on the joint โparticipation of โขbothโ groups in โdrug trafficking to the united states. The Trumpโค administration maintains Maduro leads the cartel, an assertion he rejects.
When questioned about potentialโ military action against assets associated with the Venezuelan leader, President Trump โคstated, “It allowsโข us โฃto do it, but weโ have not said that we are goingโ to do it.” He also indicated โฃopenness to a possible diplomatic resolution with Maduro.
The designation coincides withโ anโ increased U.S. military presence in โฃthe Caribbean and Pacific, includingโ a โคlarge-capacityโ aircraftโข carrier, warships, and F-35 aircraft. The United States hasโ conducted at leastโข 21 operations against vessels identified as involved in illegal trafficking, resulting in โค83 deaths.
These operations have drawn criticism from human rights organizations, who allege โthey โconstitute extrajudicial executions and raise โขconcerns about potential violations of international law. International allies have also expressed concern regarding the military โฃescalation, while Maduro accuses the U.S. of utilizing these operations as โขpart of an effort โto โคremove him from power.
Source: Reuters