Hegseth: Terror Designation Gives Pentagon 'New Options' to Target Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. designation of Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization expands the Department of Defense’s options for confronting the group, which U.S. officials have alleged is led by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The State Department announced the designation over the weekend and it takes effect next Monday.

New tools and operational options

In an interview with One America News Network (OAN) broadcast Thursday, Hegseth said the classification "brings a whole bunch of new options to the United States." He said the designation provides "more tools to our department to give options to the president to ultimately say our hemisphere will not be controlled by narco‑terrorists."

"It will not be controlled by cartels. It will not be controlled by what illegitimate regimes try to push toward the American people," Hegseth said.

Context and related developments

Senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have publicly accused Maduro of heading the Cartel de los Soles, an allegation Maduro denies. U.S. authorities have also linked the cartel to Tren de Aragua, a transnational criminal organization that the State Department has likewise labeled a foreign terrorist organization.

Hegseth’s comments come as the administration has signaled a mix of diplomatic outreach and harsher measures toward Caracas. While President Trump has indicated he may be open to talks with Maduro, he has not ruled out other options—including potential strikes inside Venezuela—if pressure escalates.

Military posture in the region

The administration has reinforced U.S. military presence in the U.S. Southern Command area, deploying fighter jets, Marines, at least one submarine and surveillance aircraft. The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford recently arrived in the Caribbean. Officials say U.S. forces have already targeted suspected narcotics operations, sinking 21 boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific and reporting at least 83 people killed in those actions, which the administration described as operations against "narco‑terrorists."

Hegseth stressed that the designation is about ensuring the president has options. "Nothing’s off the table, but nothing’s automatically on the table," he said, adding that U.S. planning aims to give leaders a range of legal and operational tools to counter drug‑trafficking networks whether on land or at sea.

The Defense secretary also reiterated other U.S. measures tied to Maduro, noting that the reward for information leading to his arrest was doubled to $50 million this summer. International observers accused Maduro of widespread election fraud during the 2024 vote, an allegation he disputes.

Officials say the foreign terrorist organization designation potentially expands legal authorities and operational options available to U.S. agencies confronting networks the U.S. ties to Maduro and other criminal groups in the region. Details about how the Pentagon will use those authorities have not been publicly released and remain subject to official direction.