US issues sanctions on family members of Maduro

The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on family members and associates of Nicolas Maduro and his wife, as Washington ratchets up pressure on the Venezuelan president.



The U.S. Treasury Department in a statement said it had imposed sanctions on seven people it said were tied ⁠to Maduro and his wife.



Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused them of "propping up Nicolas Maduro's rogue narcostate."



"We will not allow Venezuela to continue ⁠flooding our nation with deadly drugs," Bessent said.



"Maduro and his criminal accomplices threaten our hemisphere's peace and stability.



The Trump administration will continue targeting the networks that prop up his illegitimate dictatorship."



Venezuela's information ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.



Maduro and his government have vehemently denied links to crime and say that the U.S. is seeking to oust him in order to take ⁠control of Venezuela's vast oil reserves.



In recent months, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has been ratcheting up pressure on Maduro, executing a large-scale military buildup in the southern Caribbean.