Treasury Imposes Sanctions on Seven Associates After Maduro Regime FTO Designation

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) escalated financial measures on Friday, December 19, 2025, by sanctioning seven individuals linked to the administration of Nicolas Maduro. This action followed the administration's designation of the Maduro regime as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) two days earlier, on December 17, 2025.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who assumed office on January 28, 2025, directly connected the sanctions to efforts to curb illicit drug flow into the United States. Bessent characterized the Venezuelan government as a "rogue narco-state" whose illegal activities require curtailment. This latest measure is part of an ongoing campaign intended to disrupt the regime's primary source of funding: its oil revenue, which has been subject to U.S. restrictions since 2019.

The December 19 sanctions specifically targeted immediate adult family members of Carlos Erik Malpica Flores, who was previously sanctioned on December 11, 2025, for alleged corruption within the state-owned oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA). Malpica Flores is identified as the nephew of Cilia Flores, President Maduro’s wife. Designated individuals included Eloisa Flores de Malpica, Malpica Flores's mother and sister to Cilia Flores, along with his father, Carlos Evelio Malpica Torrealba, his sister, Iriamni Malpica Flores, his wife, Damaris del Carmen Hurtado Perez, and his adult daughter, Erica Patricia Malpica Hurtado.

The enforcement action also designated family members of Panamanian businessman Ramon Carretero Napolitano, who is accused of extensive financial dealings with the regime. These designations, executed under OFAC authority, result in the blocking of all property and interests in property belonging to the sanctioned parties within U.S. jurisdiction. Secretary Bessent emphasized accountability for the regime's "continued crimes" in executing this strategy of maximum financial pressure.

These measures build upon earlier actions in December 2025, including the redesignation of Malpica Flores under Executive Order 13692. The current administration views the Maduro government as an illegitimate dictatorship sustained by corruption and drug trafficking, asserting it will not permit Venezuela to "flood our nation with deadly drugs." This financial enforcement complements kinetic actions, such as the recent seizure of the oil tanker Skipper off the Venezuelan coast.

The sanctions also reverse prior engagement efforts, such as the previous administration's delisting of Malpica Flores in 2022, which was intended to foster political dialogue. The Treasury’s focus on the oil sector, which includes prohibiting dealings with PDVSA without authorization, aims to restrict the regime’s revenue base through compounding pressure on its facilitators.