Cartel de los Soles and military complicity: evidence and accusations

By Ashley Benavidez

The threat of the Cartel of the Suns in Latin America

The consolidation of the Cartel of the Suns positioned it, in a few years, as a central actor in regional drug trafficking and a security problem with international reach. Judicial complaints and NGO reports attribute sectors of Venezuelan power with the protection and management of networks that transport tons of cocaine by land, sea and air. This mix of political power, military structure and armed groups creates a complex network that conditions the stability of several countries in the area. This text reconstructs how the organization works, what routes it uses and what international responses were activated.

Venezuelan drug trafficking: origins and structure

The phenomenon known today as the Cartel of the Suns arises from decades of institutional capture: criminal networks that found protection, logistics and coverage in certain areas of the Venezuelan State. Judicial indictments in the United States and investigative documents describe the participation of civil and military commanders in coordinating the passage of drugs to the Caribbean and beyond. This framework combines logistical work—clandestine runways and peñeros—with control over territories where the State shows 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 put pressure on maritime routes. At the same time, countries in the region coordinate controls and diplomatic measures to limit the financial and logistical circulation that feeds the network. The stated objective is to cut off the income that supports the structure and those who protect it.

Military Networks: complicity and internal functioning

The particularity of the Venezuelan case is the presence of uniformed men in the circuits of the illicit economy, according to different investigations. The participation of troops—direct or by omission—facilitates impunity: runways that operate without control, permits for clandestine flights and the protection of vessels. This relationship between armed actors and criminal interests is what explains, in part, the magnitude and durability of the phenomenon.

Maritime Routes: how cocaine leaves the country

The eastern and northern Venezuelan coasts were designated as embarkation points to the Caribbean and the Netherlands Antilles; From there the drugs continue on their way to markets in Central America, Europe, Africa and the United States. In addition, flights from isolated runways allow high tonnage shipments. A single shipment can be worth tens of millions of dollars, which explains the enormous financial flow that reenters the illicit economy and the money laundering circuit.

Social and economic impact on local communities

In areas with 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 specific actions? 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, but experts call for caution: political transformations require integrated, institutional strategies with a clear post-conflict plan that includes humanitarian support and reconstruction.

Conclusion: what is at stake for the region

The challenge represented by the Cartel of the Suns exceeds Venezuela: it crosses hemispheric security, the integrity of institutions and the lives of thousands of citizens. The international response combines intelligence, diplomatic pressure and specific operations; Effectiveness will depend on regional coordination and also advancing financial oversight mechanisms and community assistance. Meanwhile, the dispute over routes and resources continues to fuel a crisis with real impact on neighboring countries.