As corruption in Venezuela expanded under Presidents Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, the term "Cartel de los Soles" broadened in popular use to include police and government officials and activities such as illegal mining and fuel trafficking.
November 24, 2025
high
descriptive
Evolution of the term's usage to cover a wider set of actors and illicit activities
Authorization for a multinational oil company to resume pumping and exporting oil can restore export revenue that serves as a financial lifeline to a sanctioned government's finances; for example, U.S. authorization allowing Chevron Corp. to resume Venezuelan oil exports provided a revenue stream to Nicolás Maduro's government.
November 17, 2025
high
temporal
Illustrates how economic concessions to companies can affect sanctioned governments' finances.
The U.S. government has asserted that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is complicit with armed criminal gangs that smuggle drugs into the United States; Maduro has denied those allegations.
November 15, 2025
medium
temporal
Summarizes opposing claims about Maduro's alleged involvement in drug smuggling.
U.S. law enforcement officials have characterized the Cartel de los Soles as a Venezuelan criminal organization and Attorney General Pam Bondi has alleged that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro leads the Cartel de los Soles.
October 31, 2025
medium
allegation
Summary of allegations made by U.S. officials about an organization tied to drug trafficking in Venezuela
The United States has placed a $50 million bounty on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
October 09, 2025
high
political
Indicates a U.S. government incentive related to the Venezuelan president.
Nicolás Maduro's 2024 election was widely dismissed as non-democratic, and his leadership was not recognized by the United States and many other nations.
January 01, 2024
high
contextual
International assessments and recognition status regarding the legitimacy of Venezuela's 2024 presidential election.
Nicolás Maduro was indicted by the United States in 2020 on allegations that he operated as a cartel leader overseeing a narco-state.
January 01, 2020
high
descriptive
U.S. criminal indictment of a foreign leader alleging involvement in organized drug-trafficking and state capture.
A 2020 U.S. federal indictment alleged that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was a top narcotrafficker.
January 01, 2020
high
temporal
U.S. legal allegation regarding the Venezuelan president made in 2020.
In 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice brought indictments that characterized the term "Cartel de los Soles" as an alleged Nicolás Maduro-led drug trafficking organization accused of working with the FARC to traffic cocaine through Venezuela to the United States.
January 01, 2020
high
temporal
U.S. legal framing that elevated the term into a label for an alleged organized trafficking network.
As corruption expanded under President Hugo Chávez (from 1999) and later President Nicolás Maduro, the term "Cartel de los Soles" came to be applied to a loosely defined network of Venezuelan police and government officials that facilitated and profited from activities including illegal mining, fuel trafficking, and drug trafficking.
January 01, 1999
high
temporal
Evolution of the term to describe a broader network of corrupt officials and illicit economic activities.
Nicolás Maduro is the President of Venezuela.
high
descriptive
Identifies the head of state associated with Venezuelan national government.
Several countries, including the United States, do not recognize the government of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela as legitimate.
high
descriptive
Recognition stance by some countries toward Venezuela's government under Nicolás Maduro.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has pursued closer ties with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro while signaling a distancing of Colombia from the United States.
high
political_alignment
Describes the foreign-policy orientation and diplomatic alignment of Colombia under Gustavo Petro.