Venezuela denounces US terror label as pretext for intervention

• Venezuela rejects the US labelling of an alleged cartel as a terrorist group.
• Caracas accuses Washington of fabricating claims to justify possible intervention.
• US military presence near Venezuela increases regional tension.
• Maduro dismisses US actions, saying the country remains “invincible.”

Venezuela sharply criticized Washington on Monday after the United States designated an alleged Venezuelan drug network as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), calling the move a fabricated pretext for potential military action.

The US accuses President Nicolás Maduro of overseeing the so-called “Cartel de los Soles,” an alleged criminal group Washington claims is involved in drug trafficking. Venezuela’s foreign ministry dismissed the accusation outright, describing it as “the new and ridiculous lie from Secretary of State Marco Rubio,” and asserting that it was designed “to justify an illegitimate and illegal intervention against Venezuela.”

The designation comes as a significant US military deployment near Venezuelan waters has intensified speculation that the Trump administration may be preparing a more direct challenge to Maduro’s government. American officials have accused the Venezuelan leader of running a criminal organization and have offered a USD 50 million reward for his capture, a claim Caracas and its allies insist is entirely fabricated.

The escalation coincides with a visit on Tuesday by US Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine to Trinidad and Tobago, a close American partner located just miles from Venezuela’s coast. The US embassy said the trip would center on “countering illicit trafficking and transnational criminal organizations,” part of a broader pressure campaign Washington has maintained since Maduro’s contested reelection last year.

Despite the mounting tensions, Maduro remained publicly defiant during two appearances on Monday, avoiding any direct reference to the US designation. Instead, he told supporters that Venezuela would prevail regardless of outside pressure. “Whatever they do, wherever they do it, however they do it, they will not be able to defeat Venezuela. We are invincible,” he said during his weekly broadcast.

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The United States has also deployed its largest aircraft carrier and other military assets to the region, framing the buildup as part of an effort to disrupt narcotics routes across Latin America. Since September, US forces have killed at least 83 people in strikes on boats suspected of transporting drugs northward, according to public data reviewed by Agence France-Presse (AFP). No evidence has been released confirming narcotics were onboard at the time of the strikes, and legal experts argue that even if the targets were traffickers, the operations may violate international law.

The terrorism designation gives Washington expanded legal ground to intensify pressure on Venezuelan authorities. Yet, the increasing military activity, including repeated strikes on small vessels, has prompted concern in the United States over the legality of the operations.

Regional anxiety grew further over the weekend after six airlines announced they were suspending flights to Venezuela, citing security risks. That decision followed a warning from the US Federal Aviation Administration urging civilian aircraft in Venezuelan airspace to “exercise caution” due to the “worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela.”

Several analysts argue that what the United States calls the Cartel de los Soles is likely a reference to corruption among certain Venezuelan officials rather than a structured criminal network, a point Caracas frequently emphasizes as it rejects Washington’s claims.