WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Justice has quietly removed references to the so-called “Cartel de los Soles” from its criminal indictment of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, acknowledging that the term does not describe a literal criminal cartel but rather a corruption network or patronage system.
According to reporting by Le Monde and the New York Times, the amended indictment no longer alleges that Maduro led a formal drug trafficking organization known as the Cartel de los Soles, a charge first introduced by U.S. prosecutors in 2020. The original indictment referenced the alleged cartel dozens of times and was later reinforced by Trump administration officials, who went as far as designating the group a terrorist organization in 2025.
Legal experts and Latin American narcotics analysts have long warned that “Cartel de los Soles” is not an organized cartel in the traditional sense, but a colloquial term dating back to the 1990s used to describe corruption within elements of Venezuela’s military and political elite. The revised indictment now reflects that understanding, describing the concept as a system of influence rather than a discrete criminal entity.
The change comes days after U.S. forces captured Maduro during a major military operation in Caracas. Maduro pleaded not guilty Monday in federal court in New York. The operation reportedly resulted in dozens of deaths, drawing condemnation from the United Nations Human Rights Office, which labeled the intervention illegal under international law.
Policy analysts note the revision raises broader questions about U.S. credibility, evidentiary standards, and the use of political designations that do not require judicial proof.
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