On Wednesday, the United States imposed sanctions on four companies operating in Venezuela’s oil sector, as well as associated oil tankers, amid increased pressure from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
اضافة اعلان
The U.S. Treasury Department stated in a press release that the sanctions target oil traders involved in evading existing sanctions on behalf of the Maduro government.
The sanctions cover four ships, some of which the Treasury Department described as part of what is known as the “shadow fleet.”
The department added: “Today’s actions signal that participants in Venezuelan oil trade continue to face significant sanction-related risks.”
These sanctions represent the latest step in Trump’s pressure campaign against Maduro, which has included strengthening the U.S. military presence in the region and carrying out more than 24 military strikes against ships suspected of transporting drugs in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea near the South American nation.
Reuters
