Ecuador intensifies fight against transnational crime with new decree targeting Venezuela’s Cartel of the Suns.

Ecuador takes aim at regional crime networks

President Daniel Noboa has formally designated the Venezuelan “Cartel of the Suns” as a terrorist organization, escalating Ecuador’s fight against transnational crime and aligning the country’s stance with that of the United States. Through Executive Decree No. 93, issued on August 14th, Noboa ordered that the group be identified as an organized crime network posing a direct threat to national security, sovereignty, and the population.

The National Intelligence Center has been tasked with assessing the cartel’s influence inside Ecuador, particularly its links to armed groups already operating within the country. If necessary, the agency will coordinate with international counterparts to share intelligence and strengthen operations against the organization. “The government will deploy all necessary actions and strategies to safeguard the security of the country and its citizens,” the Presidency announced.

The U.S. connection and Maduro’s alleged role

Ecuador’s decision comes just weeks after Washington formally labeled the cartel a terrorist organization, accusing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and other high-ranking officials of leading the network. The U.S. Justice Department has tied the group to narcoterrorism since 2020, when then–Attorney General William Barr alleged that Maduro and senior officials such as Diosdado Cabello had been part of the cartel since the late 1990s.

The “Cartel of the Suns” takes its name from the sun insignia worn by Venezuelan military officers. U.S. authorities say the cartel has embedded itself within Venezuela’s armed forces to facilitate large-scale drug trafficking, partnering with the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico and the Tren de Aragua gang, which has spread rapidly across Latin America.

In July, the Trump administration not only reiterated its designation but also raised the reward for Maduro’s capture from $25 million to $50 million, calling him “one of the world’s biggest drug traffickers.” Shortly afterward, U.S. officials announced the seizure of over $700 million in Maduro’s assets, including luxury homes, private jets, jewelry, and cash.

Evidence of infiltration in Venezuela’s military

International monitoring bodies have also expressed alarm. In 2020, the United Nations confirmed that drug traffickers had infiltrated Venezuelan security forces, noting that informal networks tied to the so-called cartel were enabling the flow of narcotics across borders. The International Narcotics Control Board concluded that the cartel’s operations threatened regional stability, as it blurred the line between state institutions and organized crime.

Five years later, the U.S. State Department intensified its accusations, stating that the cartel not only funnels cocaine into American cities but also enriches its members through violence and corruption.

Caracas dismisses charges as U.S. fabrication

Venezuelan officials have repeatedly denied the existence of the cartel, framing it as an invention by Washington to justify sanctions and political pressure. Diosdado Cabello, widely seen as Maduro’s second-in-command, dismissed the allegations as “a creation of the United States.” Vice President Delcy Rodríguez went further, warning that labeling Venezuelan officials as terrorists could serve as a pretext for foreign military intervention in Latin America.

Caracas has urged regional governments to resist what it calls U.S. aggression. “This is a direct threat against our sovereignty and against the peace of the region,” Rodríguez argued.

Ecuador’s security strategy enters new terrain

For Ecuador, the decree reflects not only solidarity with U.S. policy but also concern about the growing presence of foreign cartels in its own territory. The government has already classified groups like the Tren de Aragua as terrorist organizations amid rising violence that has pushed homicide rates to record highs.

By extending the designation to the Venezuelan Cartel of the Suns, Noboa signals that Ecuador views regional criminal networks as interconnected threats rather than isolated actors. His government now faces the challenge of coordinating intelligence and military resources to ensure that this symbolic move translates into concrete security gains for a country already battling violence tied to drug trafficking.