Secretary of State Marco Rubio has designated the Venezuelan military trafficking network known as Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The notice took effect upon publication in the Federal Register on 24 November 2025.
Once an entity is listed, the INA makes providing it with “material support” a ground of inadmissibility, triggers mandatory visa refusals, and requires U.S. banks to block related transactions. Multinational firms with operations or supply chains in Venezuela must conduct immediate sanctions screening to ensure no direct or indirect dealings with individuals linked to the cartel.
![State Department Labels Venezuela’s ‘Cartel de los Soles’ a Foreign Terrorist Organization]()
From a mobility perspective, visa applicants suspected of affiliation will face near-automatic refusal, and U.S. consular posts are likely to intensify screening of Venezuelan military, police, and state-owned-enterprise personnel. Employers planning to transfer Venezuelan executives or engineers should budget extra time for security advisory opinions and prepare robust documentation to rebut any inadmissibility concerns.
The designation also empowers DHS to place suspected associates into expedited removal and bars them from eligibility for most immigration benefits. Mobility teams should update compliance protocols and coordinate with sanctions counsel to vet vendors and assignees connected to Venezuela’s public sector.
Once an entity is listed, the INA makes providing it with “material support” a ground of inadmissibility, triggers mandatory visa refusals, and requires U.S. banks to block related transactions. Multinational firms with operations or supply chains in Venezuela must conduct immediate sanctions screening to ensure no direct or indirect dealings with individuals linked to the cartel.
From a mobility perspective, visa applicants suspected of affiliation will face near-automatic refusal, and U.S. consular posts are likely to intensify screening of Venezuelan military, police, and state-owned-enterprise personnel. Employers planning to transfer Venezuelan executives or engineers should budget extra time for security advisory opinions and prepare robust documentation to rebut any inadmissibility concerns.
The designation also empowers DHS to place suspected associates into expedited removal and bars them from eligibility for most immigration benefits. Mobility teams should update compliance protocols and coordinate with sanctions counsel to vet vendors and assignees connected to Venezuela’s public sector.
