Cartel de los Soles

All About Cartel de los Soles

VENEZUELA

Cartel of the Suns

CARTEL DE LOS SOLES / 14 JAN 2021

The “Cartel of the Suns” (Cartel de los Soles) is the term used to describe the shadowy groups inside Venezuela’s military that are involved in a wide range of criminal…

Venezuelan Money Laundering Schemes Continue To Thrive in US

CARTEL DE LOS SOLES / 13 JUL 2020

The seizure of a fleet of luxury cars bound for Venezuela in Florida has shown how officials and allies of President Nicolás Maduro are still seeking to sidestep US sanctions…

Venezuela President's Drug Trafficking Exploits Detailed in US Indictment

CARTEL DE LOS SOLES / 26 MAR 2020

US prosecutors have charged Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his closest allies with drug trafficking and corruption, cementing the embattled nation's reputation as a mafia state.

Clandestine Airstrips, Drug Flights Becoming More Frequent Across Venezuela

CARTEL DE LOS SOLES / 12 MAR 2020

Clandestine airstrips found in Venezuela and suspected drug flights leaving the country soared in 2019, with different parts of the country being used as aerial connection points, but the total…

Report Recognizes Drug Trafficking Influence of Venezuela’s Cartel of the Suns

CARTEL DE LOS SOLES / 6 MAR 2020

For the first time, the International Narcotics Control Board has recognized the growing influence of the "Cartel of the Suns," the name for a criminal structure within the ranks of…

GameChangers 2019: As Venezuela Sinks, Maduro’s Criminal Ties Keep Him Afloat

CARTEL DE LOS SOLES / 18 JAN 2020

Venezuela remained mired in crisis throughout 2019, yet Nicolás Maduro actually consolidated his regime. How did he do it?…

Venezuela-FARC Drug Trafficking Alliance May Explain DEA Expulsion

CARTEL DE LOS SOLES / 20 SEP 2019

New evidence suggests that late Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez allied with the FARC to “flood” the United States with cocaine, potentially explaining his expulsion of the DEA from the country.

The Criminal Ties of Maduro's New Military Chiefs in Venezuela

CARTEL DE LOS SOLES / 17 JUL 2019

President Nicolás Maduro has announced changes to Venezuela’s highest military positions, in a series of appointments that reward longstanding loyalty but also promote figures with records of criminal complicity and…

Samark López Bello

CARTEL DE LOS SOLES / JUNE 14, 2019

Samark López Bello is a Venezuelan businessman and currently a fugitive from American justice facing charges of laundering drug money.

Venezuela Intelligence Chief Exposes Organized Crime Links in Maduro Govt

CARTEL DE LOS SOLES / 8 JUL 2019

For the second time in six months, a former head of Venezuela’s military intelligence service has made major revelations about the links between President Nicolás Maduro’s administration and organized crime.

Failed Venezuela Uprising Benefits Armed and Criminal Groups

CARTEL DE LOS SOLES / 8 MAY 2019

Venezuela's social conflict and violence may be even more complicated a week after the failed military uprising led by Juan Guaidó. This continued descent into state-sponsored anarchy has only favored…

US Piles on the Pressure Against Venezuela's El Aissami

CARTEL DE LOS SOLES / 14 MAR 2019

The United States has charged Tareck El Aissami, one of the most powerful men in Venezuela, and five of his collaborators for violating sanctions imposed in 2017 for alleged drug…

The Armed Groups Propping Up Venezuela’s Government

CARTEL DE LOS SOLES / 1 MAR 2019

Reports from Venezuela are shocking the world with images of “colectivos,” police and military using excessive force -- even opening fire -- on unarmed civilians attempting to bring humanitarian aid…

Frequently Used Tags

About InSight Crime

ABOUT US

THE ORGANIZATION

Unraveling the Web of Elites Connected to Organized Crime

27 JUL 2021

InSight Crime published Elites and Organized Crime in Nicaragua, a deep dive into the relationships between criminal actors and elites in that Central American nation.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Greater Focus on US-Mexico Border

20 JUL 2021

InSight Crime has decided to turn many of its investigative resources towards understanding and chronicling the criminal dynamics along the US-Mexico border.

THE ORGANIZATION

Key Arrests and Police Budget Increases Due to InSight Crime Investigations

8 JUL 2021

With Memo Fantasma’s arrest, InSight Crime has proven that our investigations can and will uncover major criminal threats in the Americas.

THE ORGANIZATION

Organized Crime’s Influence on Gender-Based Violence

30 JUN 2021

InSight Crime investigator Laura N. Ávila spoke on organized crime and gender-based violence at the launch of a research project by the United Nations Development Programme.