ISTANBUL

The US on Monday formally designated the Venezuela-based Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), in a document published in the country's Federal Register.

"I hereby designate the aforementioned organization and its respective aliases as a Foreign Terrorist Organization," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in the document.

Rubio had announced the decision earlier this month, but it went into effect as of Monday.

“Cartel de los Soles by and with other designated FTOs including Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel are responsible for terrorist violence throughout our hemisphere as well as for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe,” Rubio had said in an earlier statement.

The Venezuelan government rejected the move as a "ridiculous" plan to designate a "nonexistent" cartel as a terrorist organization.

Caracas "categorically, firmly and absolutely rejects the latest and ridiculous fabrication" by the US, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said on his Telegram account. He accused Washington of "repeating an infamous and vile lie to justify an illegitimate and illegal intervention against Venezuela."

The US has for months been expanding military operations across Latin America, deploying Marines, warships, fighter and bomber jets, submarines, and drones amid speculation that the US could launch an attack on the Latin American nation, though US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would soon speak with his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolas Maduro.

Maduro has said Venezuela is ready for “face-to-face” dialogue with Washington.