Sinaloa News – The U.S. government has publicly accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of leading a transnational criminal organization known as the Cartel of the Suns. This cartel is reportedly in coordination with Los Chapitos, the violent faction of Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, and Venezuela’s own Tren de Aragua gang.
The accusations were shared this week by the Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs of the U.S. Department of State via posts on social media platform X. According to the agency, Maduro is the top figure in a criminal network that has co-opted Venezuela’s state institutions. This network is used to traffic drugs into the United States, pointing to longstanding partnerships with both Mexican and South American criminal organizations.
“The Cartel of the Suns is a Venezuela-based criminal group led by Nicolás Maduro Moros and other senior Venezuelan officials…which provides material support to foreign terrorist organizations that threaten the peace and security of the United States,” the agency stated.
The post emphasized that Maduro has built strategic alliances with Los Chapitos, sons of the infamous Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. It also mentioned his alliances with the Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan-origin gang that has spread operations across several Latin American countries—including Mexico. These partnerships are allegedly focused on securing smuggling corridors for drug shipments destined for the U.S.
A long-standing criminal alliance
The U.S. government’s claims were supported by Mike Vigil, former head of International Operations at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Vigil explained that the relationship between Venezuela’s cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel dates back to the 1990s. During that period, the two entities worked together to establish trafficking routes from Colombia through Mexico.
“These relationships have been developing for decades,” Vigil explained. “The Cartel of the Suns used the resources of the Venezuelan government to shield its operations. They also collaborated with Mexican cartels to ensure safe passage,” he continued. Vigil cited information from the Díaz Reus law group, a U.S.-based firm specializing in international criminal litigation.
Vigil’s remarks point to a pattern of state-sanctioned drug trafficking. Key elements of the Venezuelan government—including the military, intelligence services, legislature, and judiciary—were allegedly repurposed to support the cartel’s narcotics trade.
Corruption embedded in Venezuelan institutions
According to the Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs, the Maduro regime has corrupted nearly every level of the Venezuelan state. This was done in order to protect and expand the operations of the Cartel of the Suns. The group reportedly exploits military control over border regions, airspace, and seaports. This is allegedly done to coordinate drug exports from Colombia, a major source of cocaine, with onward transit through Central America and Mexico.
The cartel relies heavily on its partnership with the Tren de Aragua, which operates across Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Chile, and parts of Mexico. This gang traffics narcotics and also engages in human trafficking, extortion, and arms smuggling.
The U.S. State Department’s posts outline a dangerous convergence of organized crime and authoritarian governance. The department claims that Venezuela under Maduro has evolved into a criminal state. This state maintains global partnerships with violent syndicates to evade sanctions and fund its survival.
Los Chapitos and cross-border drug flows
The Maduro regime’s alleged relationship with Los Chapitos—Iván Archivaldo, Jesús Alfredo, Joaquín Jr., and Ovidio Guzmán—adds a powerful Mexican component to the cartel alliance. Moreover, the U.S. has accused the Chapitos of running a global fentanyl production and trafficking operation, which has been linked to a sharp rise in overdose deaths in the United States.
Their partnership with Venezuela reportedly helps diversify smuggling channels. This gives both organizations flexibility in evading international law enforcement. They reportedly use state resources to support logistics, such as aircraft, warehouses, and corrupt security forces.
The U.S. has issued multiple indictments and offered multimillion-dollar rewards for information leading to the arrest of Los Chapitos. Meanwhile, Maduro faces separate charges in U.S. courts for narco-terrorism. A 2020 federal indictment accuses him of using his official position to “flood the United States with cocaine.”
No official response from Venezuela or Mexico
As of publication, the Venezuelan government has not responded to the new accusations from the U.S. Department of State. Maduro and his administration have long denied allegations of involvement in drug trafficking. They have accused Washington of engaging in a politically motivated campaign to destabilize his government.
The Mexican government has also not issued a formal statement on the alleged ties between Los Chapitos and the Cartel of the Suns. Mexico continues to struggle with internal security issues related to the Sinaloa Cartel and other groups. Additionally, the international scope of these new claims may complicate bilateral and regional anti-drug efforts.
While the accusations are not new, the renewed emphasis from U.S. officials suggests a sharpening focus on transnational networks. These networks connect authoritarian regimes with powerful cartels across Latin America. Analysts warn that as these partnerships deepen, dismantling them will require more than just law enforcement—it will demand political will, intelligence cooperation, and regional consensus.
Sources:
U.S. Department of State archives
Díaz Reus International Law Firm
DEA public statements
Nicolás Maduro, Cartel of the Suns, Los Chapitos, Sinaloa Cartel, Tren de Aragua, drug trafficking, Venezuela, Mexico, DEA, U.S. Department of State
