The U.S. government's designation of the Venezuelan Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization officially took effect Monday as part of President Trump's aggressive campaign to combat drug trafficking into the United States. The U.S. identifies Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as the group's leader — and he says the claims of narcoterrorism are actually part of a bid by Mr. Trump to force him from power.

The terrorist designation, which was announced last week, is designed to put more pressure on Maduro, even as U.S. warships and more than 10,000 American troops step up training exercises in the region. The U.S. military has also launched deadly strikes on boats it alleges were carrying drugs off Venezuela's coast — many of them allegedly run by the Tren de Aragua ga

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