By Eric Martin and Wendy Benjaminson, Bloomberg News

The U.S. plans to designate a Venezuelan drug cartel allegedly led by Nicolas Maduro as a foreign terrorist organization, expanding the legal case for more aggressive action as it masses military assets in the Caribbean after months of deadly boat strikes.

The designation will take effect on Nov. 24, the State Department said Sunday. In addition to banning entry of members of the Cartel de los Soles to the U.S. and allowing the U.S. government to seize the organization’s funds, the tag criminalizes support for the organization.

The move follows a more than two-month campaign of lethal attacks on alleged drug-running boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean, which have killed about 80 people. The latest attack was on Sa

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