U.S. escalates pressure on Maduro with new sanctions targeting inner circle and Venezuela’s oil sector

The Trump administration has intensified its campaign against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, unveiling a new round of sanctions that target members of Maduro’s family, key business allies, and companies tied to the country’s oil industry—an economic lifeline for the regime.

The Treasury Department announced Thursday that the sanctions apply to three nephews of Maduro’s wife, a businessman linked to the regime, and six shipping companies involved in transporting Venezuelan oil. According to Treasury, the measures are part of a broader effort to cut off financial networks that have helped sustain Maduro’s rule amid political and economic collapse.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent framed the sanctions as both a national security measure and a reversal of the Biden administration’s earlier diplomatic attempts. He said Maduro and his associates have been “flooding the United States with drugs” and added that the new actions “undo the Biden Administration’s failed attempt to make a deal with Maduro.”

Two of the sanctioned nephews were convicted of drug trafficking years earlier and returned to Venezuela as part of the Biden administration’s 2022 prisoner exchange with Caracas. U.S. officials say both men resumed narcotics activity following their release.

The sanctions also target the Venezuelan oil sector, which remains central to Maduro’s hold on power. Treasury officials said the six shipping companies move crude for the regime, and that a Panamanian businessman included in the announcement helped facilitate the transport of petroleum on Maduro’s behalf.

The moves align with what Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described as a “maximum pressure” strategy aimed at further isolating the Venezuelan strongman. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Washington intends to keep tightening Maduro’s financial channels, arguing that the regime uses them to repress Venezuelans while contributing to regional criminal activity.

The pressure campaign expanded further this week when U.S. authorities seized an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast. Attorney General Pam Bondi released video of the operation, saying the vessel had transported sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran as part of a broader illicit network.

Bondi said the tanker had been under U.S. sanctions for years and linked its activity to organizations designated as foreign terrorist groups. She described the seizure as safe and secure, adding that the investigation continues in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security.

Venezuela’s government sharply criticized the move, denouncing the seizure as “a blatant theft and an act of international piracy.” The country, which holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves and produces more than one million barrels of crude per day, has repeatedly argued that U.S. sanctions cripple its economy and violate international law.

The latest U.S. measures signal that Washington plans to increase pressure rather than pursue negotiation. The Trump administration has made clear that it sees Maduro not only as an authoritarian leader but as a security threat—one it intends to counter through sustained economic and legal action.