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The Florida-based Organization of Venezuelans Persecuted in Political Exile (VEPPEX) on Tuesday asked U.S. President Donald Trump to order the arrest of Nicolás Maduro and more than 400 officials linked to the Chavista regime, after the U.S. government declared the Cartel of the Suns a terrorist organization.
VEPPEX calls for operations and rewards against Chavista leaders
In an open letter, VEPPEX called on the Department of Justice to take action against senior Venezuelan officials, including Maduro and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, whom they accuse of leading the cartel and being involved in drug trafficking and terrorism. The organization proposed activating intelligence operations with agencies such as the DEA and offering rewards to facilitate their capture.
The U.S. declares the Cartel of the Suns a terrorist group.
The request comes just days after the U.S. State Department announced that the Cartel of the Suns had been included on the list of foreign terrorist organizations, allowing Washington to use all legal and operational tools to dismantle its network of influence. According to authorities, the cartel maintains ties to other criminal groups such as the Sinaloa Cartel and the Tren de Aragua, and its leadership is comprised of Venezuelan government figures.
Call to freeze assets and increase international pressure
VEPPEX supported the US decision, asserting that it represents a "severe blow to the Maduro regime's narcoterrorism," but also called for additional measures. These include a complete freeze on assets and property related to the cartel, as well as increased diplomatic pressure to ensure that Europe and Latin America also declare it a terrorist organization.
They call for expanded immigration protection for Venezuelans
The organization also took the opportunity to ask the Trump administration to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans, especially following the Supreme Court's recent decision allowing the government to revoke the program, which could affect more than 300,000 Venezuelan migrants in the United States.
The US intensifies investigations into Chavista network
In March of this year, the FBI intensified its investigation into the Cartel of the Suns network inside and outside Venezuela. Washington has reiterated that Nicolás Maduro, along with other high-ranking officials, leads this criminal organization, further aggravating the political and diplomatic situation between the two countries.
Venezuelan exile demands firm action against the regime
With this new designation, international pressure on the Maduro regime increases, while organizations like VEPPEX continue to demand stronger action to curb what they call a regional threat promoted from Caracas.
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