The United States announced this Friday new sanctions against several relatives and associates of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, as part of its efforts to dismantle what it called a "narcocorruption" network that supports the Venezuelan government.
The measure, announced through the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), specifically targets direct relatives of Carlos Erik Malpica Flores —nephew of Venezuela's First Lady, Cilia Flores— and individuals close to Panamanian businessman Ramón Carretero Napolitano, both linked to financial operations with Maduro's administration.
Among Malpica Flores's relatives are his mother (and the First Lady's sister), Eloisa Flores de Malpica; his father, Carlos Evelio Malpica Torrealba, and his sister, Iriamni Malpica Flores. Also sanctioned were his wife, Damaris del Carmen Hurtado Pérez, and his adult daughter, Erica Patricia Malpica Hurtado.
In total, the U.S. sanctioned seven individuals, accusing them of being responsible or complicit in "corrupt transactions" within the Venezuelan government or in public programs or projects, according to OFAC in a statement.
This measure prohibits individuals or companies in the U.S. from conducting transactions with the sanctioned individuals, and also freezes any assets or properties they may have in the North American country.
Washington has intensified its actions against Maduro's government this week, which it labels a "narcodictatorship." In the Caribbean region, this has included the bombing of more than 30 alleged drug boats leaving Venezuela or Colombia, which have left over 100 dead.
Last week, President Trump ordered all U.S.-sanctioned oil tankers to be barred from entering or leaving Venezuela, a week after a ship loaded with crude was seized near Venezuelan waters.
