The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced Thursday that it has imposed new sanctions targeting family members and associates tied to Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, citing corruption and narcotics-linked activity that supports his regime.
The action, carried out by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, focuses on family networks connected to individuals linked to Venezuela's state-run oil sector and financial dealings with the Maduro government.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the sanctions are intended to disrupt what the department described as a narco-corruption structure that sustains Maduro's rule.
According to the Treasury Department, the sanctions target close relatives of individuals accused of using government positions and family ties to profit from corrupt transactions involving the Venezuelan government and its programs.
The department said the newly designated individuals include immediate family members of a relative of Maduro's wife who has been repeatedly linked to corruption involving Petróleos de Venezuela, the country's state-owned oil company.
The Treasury Department also expanded sanctions connected to a Panamanian businessman previously designated for corruption-related activity involving the Maduro government, adding additional family members to the sanctions list.
As a result of the designations, all property and interests in property of the sanctioned individuals that are within the United States or under the control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to the Treasury Department.
The sanctions also extend to any entities owned, directly or indirectly, 50% or more by one or more designated individuals, according to the department.
The Treasury Department said U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions involving the property or interests of the sanctioned individuals unless authorized by the department.
The department warned that violations of U.S. sanctions can result in civil or criminal penalties and that financial institutions may also face penalties for conducting prohibited transactions involving designated individuals.
The Treasury Department said the measures are designed to increase pressure on financial and family networks that enable corruption tied to the Maduro government.
The sanctions come as the Trump administration has increased pressure on the Maduro regime through economic measures, energy restrictions, and law enforcement actions targeting narcotics trafficking tied to Venezuela.
U.S. government actions against the Maduro regime have focused on cutting off revenue streams tied to oil exports and corruption while pursuing criminal networks linked to drug trafficking.
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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