The Trump administration could have expanded authority to take action against Venezuela starting Monday, as the US designates Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his government allies as members of a foreign terrorist organization.
Still, administration officials have been making the case that the designation — one of the State Department’s most serious counterterrorism tools — will give the US expanded military options for striking inside Venezuela.
Cartel de los Soles is used to describe a decentralized network of Venezuelan groups within the armed forces linked to drug trafficking, experts say.
The US military has killed dozens of people in boat strikes as part of the anti-drug-trafficking campaign.
Seventy-six percent of respondents say the Trump administration has not clearly explained the US position on military action.
Trump is hoping that the pressure is enough to force Maduro to step down without taking direct military action, according to a US official.
In a statement, the Venezuelan government rejected the designation of the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization, calling it a “ridiculous fabrication.”. »