Cartel de los Soles, a group the US alleges is led by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, will be designated a terrorist organisation, the US State Department has said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement on Sunday announcing that the group will be considered a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) from 24 November.
It means that Maduro will effectively be designated a terrorist as well, because the US alleges he heads the Cartel de los Soles, an accusation Maduro strongly denies.
It is the Trump administration's latest effort to reduce drug trafficking and put pressure on Maduro, as the US considers whether to take military action inside the country.
An FTO designation allows the US government to crackdown more aggressively on the group and its alleged associates, by making it illegal to knowingly offer them support.
