President Donald Trump will impose sanctions against President Nicolás Maduro’s nephews and six companies that ship Venezuelan oil. The sanctions followed the US seizing a large ship that was transporting Venezuelan crude.
Axios reported on Thursday that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is set to announce the new sanctions. Maduro’s relatives, Carlos Erik Malpica Flores, Efrain Antonio Campo Flores, and Franqui Francisco Flores de Freitas, will be added to the US blacklist along with six firms that operate ships that carry Venezuelan oil.
A source close to the White House told Axios that the White House was preparing more sanctions. “There’s a lot more where this came from,” they said. “Maduro, his family and his cronies have a choice: Stop the drug trafficking, stop the corruption, stop the dictatorship and leave the country — or pay the price.”
The Trump administration is using economic war on Venezuela to force Maduro from power. During his first administration, he applied extensive sanctions on Venezuela and backed multiple coup attempts that failed to oust Maduro.
While Joe Biden allowed some American companies to begin oil operations in Venezuela, he maintained most of the sanctions and continued to demand that Maduro leave office.
Since returning to office, Trump has stepped up the pressure on Venezuela by labeling Maduro as the leader of a narco-terrorist cartel, increasing sanctions, and threatening an invasion.
On Wednesday, Trump announced the US seized a large vessel carrying Venezuelan oil.
