DEA zeroes in on Cartel of the Suns bosses as Maduro is hauled into US narco case

The early-morning arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro sent shockwaves around the world, marking the most consequential move by the United States in its war against the dictator’s notorious "Cartel of the Suns." Federal prosecutors allege that for years, the Cartel of the Suns – or "Cartel de los Soles" – has worked in tandem with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) under Maduro’s leadership to execute a complex and large-scale cocaine trafficking network to funnel narcotics into the U.S. While Venezuela and the U.S. agreed to reinstate their ambassadors in 2009, Venezuelan officials insisted the country did not need to work alongside the U.S. in counternarcotic efforts due to the country’s own programs.