The U.S. declared an alleged cartel in Venezuela a terrorist organization, the latest action targeting the country and the Maduro government.

A key move was Washington's formal designation of the Cartel de los Soles, a network it alleges is deeply tied to top Venezuelan officials, as a terrorist organization, which came into effect on Monday. Venezuela called the label a "ridiculous scheme" intended to justify an unlawful intervention in Venezuela.

Despite this long relationship, Noriega proved to be a highly unreliable Cold War partner. While on Washington’s payroll, he supplied Castro with intelligence on U.S. operations and helped facilitate the shipment of weapons from Cuba to various Marxist insurgent groups.

WASHINGTON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - The United States is poised to launch a new phase of Venezuela-related operations in the coming days, four U.S. officials told Reuters, as the Trump administration escalates pressure on President Nicolas Maduro's government.

A sanctioned Russian oil tanker has reportedly reached Venezuela following several route changes and attempts to evade U.S. naval interception in the Caribbean Sea. The ship anchored at Puerto La Cruz, a port city on the South American country's northeastern coast, according to global shipping news outlets.

The U.S. is considering dropping leaflets on Caracas as a kind of psychological warfare to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, multiple U.S. officials familiar with the talks told CBS News.

Algunas aerolíneas cancelan todos los vuelos a Venezuela por tiempo indefinido, y el presidente de Colombia Gustavo Petro lo califica como un “crimen contra la humanidad”.