Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and high-ranking members of his government were officially designated by the United States as members of an international terrorist organization on Monday. The inclusion of the Cartel of the Suns on the State Department's list allows Washington to impose new sanctions against the Chavista regime. Senior officials in the Trump administration believe this move expands their options for military action within Venezuela.

Meanwhile, tensions remain high as everyone awaits the next steps in the massive US military deployment in the Caribbean, especially after the arrival last week of the aircraft carrier Gerald Ford, the world's largest and most modern, ostensibly to combat drug trafficking in Operation Southern Spear. The fleet, which comprises 20% of the US naval force deployed worldwide and includes F-35 fighter jets and some 15,000 troops, has participated in military exercises near Trinidad and Tobago in recent days. This Monday, the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff traveled to the area to meet with the operation's commanders.

Four senior US officials have separately told Reuters that the start of the second phase of the military operation is imminent, while international airlines are suspending flights over Venezuela following a recommendation issued Friday by the US aviation agency to avoid the area due to the risk of escalation.

Officially, Washington has not confirmed any travel plans. This Sunday, President Trump, who chose to remain in the capital over the weekend after spending several days at his private residence, Mar-a-Lago, in Florida, opted not to enjoy his favorite sport, golf, to which he dedicates almost every day off. Instead, he stayed at the White House, with his office not reporting any public or private activities. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio was in Geneva to participate in talks on the U.S. peace plan for Ukraine.

The State Department, which in February already designated the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua and the Mexican Sinaloa cartel on its list of foreign terrorist organizations —where groups such as Al Qaeda or the Islamic State are already found—, announced a week ago that it would also include the Cartel of the Suns on that list starting this Monday.

The so-called Cartel of the Suns is not an organized criminal gang, like the Colombian or Mexican cartels. Rather, it is an expression used to refer to a collection of decentralized groups, without hierarchy or structure, comprised of high-ranking officials in the Venezuelan government and armed forces who collaborate with drug trafficking and finance themselves through these activities.

“The Cartel of the Suns operates as a loose network of cells within the army, navy, air force, and Bolivarian National Guard, spanning from the lowest to the highest ranks. These groups basically operate as drug trafficking organizations. It is unclear how, or if, these cells relate to one another,” states the think tank Insightcrime on its website.

The United States maintains that its military deployment in the Caribbean, which has so far targeted at least twenty suspected drug-trafficking boats in bombings that have killed at least 83 people, is solely aimed at combating drug trafficking. But Maduro, and many others, believe the true objective of the operation may be to force the downfall of the Chavista leader, whom Washington does not recognize as the legitimate president of the Caribbean nation.

The United States has labeled Maduro the leader of the Cartel of the Suns. In August, it doubled the reward offered for his capture to $50 million. Although the terrorist designation does not in itself authorize the use of military force, the US administration has made it clear that it interprets it as a legal avenue for potential attacks on Venezuelan territory.

“It gives our Department more tools to offer the president options,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last Thursday. Trump has also indicated that the new designation would allow attacks on Maduro’s infrastructure and assets in Venezuela, but he has also expressed openness to diplomatic contacts with Caracas.

New phase in the operation

The US president has alluded on several occasions to the beginning of a"new phase" in Operation Southern Spear, which would include ground operations. He has also confirmed that he has authorized US intelligence services to conduct covert missions in that country.

According to Reuters, citing four senior officials, the new phase could begin in the coming days. Two of the sources indicated that this phase could initially start with covert missions. Two other sources also indicated that the downfall of Maduro is among the objectives being considered.

“Based in Venezuela, the Cartel of the Suns is led by Nicolás Maduro and other high-ranking individuals in Maduro’s illegitimate regime, who have corrupted Venezuela’s armed forces, intelligence services, legislature, and judiciary,” the State Department statement in which Rubio announced the measure said. Among other things, the designation prohibits financial transactions by the group or any individual involved with it.

On Tuesday, The New York Times reported that Trump had approved a plan for covert CIA operations in Venezuela that could pave the way for a broader military campaign. The newspaper noted that it was unclear exactly what kind of operations Trump had authorized or when they might take place.