Trump Administration announces new sanctions against the family and business circle sustaining Nicolás Maduro’s tyranny

Donald Trump's administration announced Thursday new sanctions targeting relatives of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, as well as businessmen and companies linked to Venezuela's oil sector. The announcement came a day after the United States seized an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast, an action that marks a new increase in economic and judicial pressure against the Caracas regime.

Direct blow to Cilia Flores' inner circle

The sanctions are targeted at three nephews of Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores - Efraín Antonio Campo Flores, Franqui Francisco Flores de Freitas and Carlos Erik Malpica Flores - along with a Panamanian businessman allied with the family and six shipping companies.

Two of those sanctioned, Campo Flores and Flores de Freitas - known as the "narco-nephews" - were arrested in Haiti in 2015 while negotiating the shipment of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine to the United States. In 2016 they were convicted of drug trafficking, but received a pardon from President Joe Biden in 2022. After their return to Venezuela, both have continued to be involved in drug trafficking activities, according to the Treasury Department designation.

OFAC sanctions them under Executive Order 14059 for engaging or attempting to engage in activities that materially contribute to the international proliferation of illicit drugs.

Malpica returns to sanctioned list

The third sanctioned nephew, Carlos Erik Malpica Flores - alleged former national treasurer of Venezuela and former director of PDVSA - had already been included in the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List in 2017.

In 2022, the Biden Administration removed him from the list as part of a diplomatic effort to push for political negotiations with the regime, a process that subsequently failed.

Now, the Treasury Department has added him back to the sanctioned list, which blocks all his assets under U.S. jurisdiction and reactivates the restrictions he had before. The measure is taken under Executive Order 13692 for his role within the Venezuelan governmental apparatus.

With this action, Malpica, Campo and Flores de Freitas rejoin the group of already sanctioned figures, which includes dictator Nicolás Maduro, Cilia Flores, Nicolás Maduro Guerra and Flores' sons - Walter, Yosser and Yoswal Gavidia - within the SDN List.

Businessman allied with the regime also sanctioned

The Treasury Department also sanctioned Panamanian businessman Ramón Carretero Napolitano, who has maintained business and associations with the Maduro-Flores family and has operated lucrative contracts on behalf of the regime. According to OFAC, Carretero has facilitated shipments of petroleum products for the Venezuelan regime.

He was listed under Executive Order 13850 for operating in the oil sector of the Venezuelan economy.