WASHINGTON – The United States imposed new sanctions on three nephews of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Thursday as part of an escalating effort to increase pressure on the South American nation. Franqui Flores, Carlos Flores, and Efrain Campo were targeted alongside Panamanian businessman Ramon Carretero, six companies, and six Venezuela-flagged ships, accused of transporting Venezuelan oil. Carretero is alleged to have facilitated oil shipments for the Venezuelan government and maintained business ties with the Maduro-Flores family, including partnerships in several companies.
The sanctions, announced by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, block the individuals and entities from accessing any property or financial assets in the U.S. and prohibit American citizens and companies from conducting business with them. Banks that violate the restrictions face possible penalties or enforcement actions. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that Maduro and his associates are responsible for flooding the U.S. with drugs, harming Americans, and emphasized that the sanctions hold the Venezuelan regime and its affiliates accountable. Previous U.S. actions involving Maduro’s family include the 2022 release of Flores and Campo in exchange for seven Americans imprisoned in Venezuela, following their convictions on narcotics charges in 2015. Carlos Flores had been previously sanctioned in 2017 but removed from the Treasury list in 2022. These latest measures come amid U.S. strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, which have resulted in at least 87 deaths since early September, as the Trump administration frames the campaign as part of an “armed conflict” against drug cartels.