Cartel of the Suns and military complicity: evidence and accusations

by September 6, 2025

The threat of the Cartel of the Suns in Latin America

The consolidation of the Cartel of the Suns established it, in just a few years, as a central player in regional drug trafficking and a security problem with international reach. Legal complaints and NGO reports attribute to sectors of Venezuelan power the protection and management of networks that transport tons of cocaine by land, sea, and air. This combination of political power, military structure, and armed groups creates a complex network that affects the stability of several countries in the region. This article reconstructs how the organization operates, what routes it uses, and what international responses were activated.

Venezuelan Drug Trafficking: Origins and Structure

The phenomenon now known as the Cartel of the Suns emerged from decades of institutional capture: criminal networks that found protection, logistics, and cover in certain areas of the Venezuelan state. Judicial accusations in the United States and investigative documents describe the involvement of civilian and military commanders in coordinating drug trafficking to the Caribbean and beyond. This network combines logistical work—clandestine airstrips and fishing boats—with control over territories where the state has a weak presence.

Anti-Narcotics Operations: The International Reaction

Faced with the evidence, several governments activated sanctions, designations, and coordinated operations. The United States, for its part, deployed naval and intelligence resources in the Caribbean to interdict shipments and pressure maritime routes. At the same time, countries in the region coordinated controls and diplomatic measures to limit the financial and logistical flows that fuel the network. The stated objective is to cut off the income that sustains the structure and those who protect it.

Narcotics detection dog in front of packages seized during a police operation.
A sniffer dog next to packages seized during an anti-drug operation. (EFE/Roberto Gil)

Military Networks: Complicity and Internal Operations

The unique feature of the Venezuelan case is the presence of uniformed personnel in the illicit economy, according to various investigations. The involvement of these officers—directly or indirectly—facilitates impunity: uncontrolled airstrips, permits for clandestine flights, and the protection of vessels. This relationship between armed actors and criminal interests is what partly explains the magnitude and durability of the phenomenon.

Maritime Routes: How Cocaine Leaves the Country

The eastern and northern coasts of Venezuela have been identified as shipping points to the Caribbean and the Netherlands Antilles; from there, the drugs continue their journey to markets in Central America, Europe, Africa, and the United States. Furthermore, flights from isolated airstrips allow for high-tonnage shipments. A single shipment can be worth tens of millions of dollars, which explains the enormous financial flow that re-enters the illicit economy and the money laundering circuit.

Social and economic impact on local communities

In areas of extreme poverty, the presence of drug trafficking permeates daily life: recruitment, economic dependence, and the erosion of institutions are direct consequences. Local organizations describe how entire populations are trapped between criminal coercion and the absence of state alternatives. To reverse this damage, specialists insist on combining security operations with social development policies.

Regime change or targeted action? Limits and expectations

Military and naval operations seek to dismantle networks and reduce the flow of resources, but they are not in themselves a plan to change governments. The political effects can be indirect if the main sources of criminal financing are cut off, but experts urge caution: political transformations require integrated, institutional strategies with a clear post-conflict plan that includes humanitarian support and reconstruction.

Conclusion: What's at stake for the region

The challenge posed by the Cartel of the Suns extends beyond Venezuela: it threatens hemispheric security, the integrity of institutions, and the lives of thousands of citizens. The international response combines intelligence, diplomatic pressure, and concrete operations; effectiveness will depend on regional coordination and progress in financial oversight mechanisms and community assistance. Meanwhile, the dispute over routes and resources continues to fuel a crisis with a real impact on neighboring countries.

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