Embedded within Venezuela’s military, the Cartel of the Suns refers to a criminal network spanning the army, navy, air force, and National Guard – comprised primarily of high-ranking officers – involved in drug trafficking. These groups maintain a mutually beneficial relationship with certain political actors and big criminal players like the demobilized Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia — FARC).
This week, the network made headlines after the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the group and its main members by adding them to its list of specially designated nationals, a move that carries significant economic restrictions for those targeted, including president Nicolás Maduro.
