U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Maduro’s Relatives and Shipping Companies

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) recently announced sanctions against three nephews of Venezuelan First Lady Nicolás Maduro, along with a pro-Maduro businessman and six shipping companies associated with Venezuela’s oil industry.

These sanctions also highlighted six ships that are believed to engage in misleading and hazardous shipping practices, allegedly financing President Maduro’s narcotics-related regime.

“President Nicolas Maduro and his criminal associates in Venezuela are flooding the United States with drugs that are poisoning the American people,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remarked. He suggested that these sanctions nullify the Biden administration’s earlier attempts to negotiate with Maduro, which he believes bolster an authoritarian rule that harms both Venezuelans and Americans.

Notably, two of Maduro’s nephews, Efrain Antonio Campo Flores and Franchi Francisco Flores de Freitas, were arrested back in 2015 in Haiti while they were allegedly trying to finalize a cocaine shipment to the U.S. They became known as the “drug nephews” in some circles.

A year after their arrest, they were convicted of drug trafficking but received pardons from President Biden in October 2022. They’ve since returned to Venezuela, with officials claiming they plan to resume their drug trafficking activities in 2025.

The third nephew listed, Carlos Eric Malpica Flores, previously served as a state finance secretary in Venezuela and is identified as a former vice president of the state-owned oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA).

Malpica was added to OFAC’s list in 2017 but was later removed in 2022 to facilitate negotiations aimed at pushing for democratic elections in Venezuela, which ultimately did not succeed.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the U.S. is holding Maduro’s relatives accountable for their actions, which he claims harm American communities.

The sanctions also target six shipping companies: Arctic Voyager Incorporated, Powerloy Investments Limited, Lady Great Limited, Sino Marine Services Limited, and Full Happy Limited. These companies are accused of transporting Venezuelan oil, with many shipments heading to Asia while some operational details remain undisclosed.