The US imposes sanctions on Maduro’s relatives and friends in Venezuela.

As Washington increases pressure on the Venezuelan president, the United States placed sanctions on Nicolas Maduro and his wife’s family members and associates on Friday.

In a statement, the U.S. Treasury Department claimed to have sanctioned seven individuals connected to Maduro and his spouse. They were charged by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent with “propping up Nicolas Maduro’s rogue narcostate.”

“We will not allow Venezuela to continue flooding our nation with deadly drugs,” Bessent stated.

“The peace and stability of our hemisphere are threatened by Maduro and his criminal allies. The networks supporting Trump’s illegal regime will continue to be targeted by his administration.

A request for comment was not immediately answered by Venezuela’s information ministry.

Maduro and his administration have strongly rejected any involvement in criminal activities and claim that the United States is trying to remove him in order to seize control of Venezuela’s enormous oil reserves.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s government has been increasing pressure on Maduro in recent months by implementing a massive military buildup in the southern Caribbean.

In addition to seizing a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela and declaring a “blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and departing Venezuela, it has carried out strikes on suspected drug vessels in the area.

Additionally, Trump has stated again and time again that there would soon be land strikes in Venezuela.

Relatives of Carlos Erik Malpica Flores, the nephew of Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, were sanctioned by Friday’s decree. Malpica Flores allegedly participated in a corruption scheme at the state oil corporation PDVSA, according to the United States. Last week, Washington sanctioned him.

Sanctions were imposed on his father, sister, wife, and daughter on Friday, along with his mother, who is Maduro’s wife’s sister.

Citgo Petroleum, a refiner owned by Venezuela, had a general license that was supposed to expire on December 20 but was extended by the Treasury on Friday until February 3. Compared to the last extension Treasury provided in June, which lasted six months, this one was far shorter.

of recent years, despite a court-ordered sale of shares of its parent company, PDV Holding, Washington has shielded the Houston-based business from creditors. Transactions involving a bond issued by Venezuela and secured by Citgo equity are temporarily prohibited under the license.

In November, after approving the company’s $5.9 billion bid in a court-sponsored auction to settle debts with Venezuelan creditors, a U.S. judge approved the sale of shares in Citgo Petroleum’s parent business to an Elliott Investment Management affiliate.

The sale order was the final significant legal step to conclude a two-year auction intended to compensate up to 15 creditors for loan defaults and expropriations; it is currently awaiting Treasury Department approval.