US sanctions Venezuelan President Maduro’s 3 nephews as pressure campaign ratchets up

WASHINGTON AP The U S imposed sanctions on three nephews of Venezuelan President Nicol s Maduro among others on Thursday as President Donald Trump looks to inflict further pressure on the South American nation The new sanctions on Franqui Flores Carlos Flores and Efrain Campo come a day after Trump communicated that the U S had seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela Also included in the sanctions are Panamanian businessman Ramon Carretero Napolitano six firms and six Venezuela-flagged ships accused of transporting Venezuelan oil The Treasury s Office of Foreign Assets Control published the list of sanctions on Thursday The sanctions are meant to deny them access to any property or financial assets held in the U S and the penalties are intended to prevent U S companies and citizens from doing business with them Banks and financial institutions that violate that restriction expose themselves to sanctions or enforcement actions This is not the first time Maduro s family has been involved in a political tit-for-tat In October Venezuela freed seven imprisoned Americans in exchange for the United States releasing Flores and Campo who had been jailed for years on narcotics convictions The U S s latest actions against Venezuela follow a series of deadly strikes the U S has conducted on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean which have killed at least people since early September Trump has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and asserted the U S is engaged in an armed conflict with drug cartels