Reported by José de Córdoba

(Summary featured below. To read full report, go to: https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/the-web-of-venezuelan-generals-accused-of-fueling-the-cocaine-trade-8bb251db?mod=mhp)

For more than twenty years, U.S. and Colombian officials say a diffuse network of Venezuelan generals and senior officials has played a central role in moving thousands of tons of Colombian cocaine through Venezuela and onward to the U.S., Europe, and the Caribbean. This network—known as the Cartel of the Suns, named after the “sun” insignia worn by Venezuelan generals—allegedly provides protection, logistics, and military cover that allow guerrillas and trafficking groups to operate freely on Venezuelan soil in exchange for multimillion-dollar bribes. Though nearly all cocaine is produced in Colombia, Venezuela’s military-controlled corridors have become a critical springboard for international shipments by sea and air.

The Trump administration is now escalating pressure by preparing to designate the Cartel of the Suns as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, arguing that the group’s activities constitute both a national-security threat and a vast narcotics-trafficking conspiracy. U.S. officials say Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro sits atop this network—already under a $50 million U.S. bounty—and has relied on drug proceeds to solidify loyalty among generals and key political allies. The U.S. has deployed a large military presence under “Operation Southern Spear” and carried out lethal maritime strikes targeting Venezuela-linked drug routes, even as Trump simultaneously signals openness to dialogue. Maduro, for his part, vehemently denies all allegations, calling them “fake news” designed to justify armed conflict.

The allegations trace back to the early years of the Chávez presidency, when Venezuelan military leaders allegedly armed Colombia’s FARC rebels while opening state-controlled routes for traffickers. Over the years, high-profile arrests and indictments—including those of former intelligence chief Hugo Carvajal and Gen. Cliver Alcalá—have revealed insider accounts of generals coordinating drug flights, selling seized cocaine, and running an “air bridge” that once sent dozens of cocaine-laden planes to Central America. The 2020 U.S. indictment of Maduro details weapons transfers, multimillion-dollar bribes, and shipments of drugs to Mexico, Paris, and Caribbean ports, all allegedly orchestrated with the help of military officials who enriched themselves through corruption.

Venezuelan officials continue to deny the existence of any cartel, but Washington has doubled down, issuing massive bounties on key regime figures including Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino. Analysts say the drug trade is a cornerstone of regime cohesion—ensuring that generals who profit from cocaine have a vested interest in protecting Maduro from domestic revolt or international pressure. With Venezuela’s economy in freefall, sanctions intensifying, and corruption rampant, the drug-financed loyalty of military elites may be one of the final pillars keeping Maduro in power.