The U.S. Department of Justice has removed references to the Cartel of the Suns in the new indictment against Nicolás Maduro, who is no longer identified as the head of the drug trafficking organisation, which is described as a «clientelism system.» In 2020, a grand jury in the U.S. presented an indictment stating that Maduro «contributed to the management and direction of the Cartel of the Suns.» Washington has pointed to the leaders of the Cartel of the Suns for supporting groups such as the Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel in a conspiracy to transport drugs to the U.S. In the recent indictment revised by the prosecution, the tone of the previous text has been softened and references to the criminal organisation as a specific entity have been removed, although the allegations against Maduro for drug trafficking remain. The document indicates that Maduro «intervenes, sustains, and safeguards a culture of corruption in which Venezuelan elites obtain wealth through drug trafficking and the protection of their allies in this business.»
