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     k ,  Congressional Research Service
             Informing t  egislative debat since 1914



Venezuela: Overview of U.S. Sanctions


For more than a decade, the United States has employed
sanctions as a policy tool in response to activities of the
Venezuelan government and Venezuelan individuals. As
Venezuela's political and economic crisis under the
leadership of Nicolfs Maduro has deepened, the Trump
Administration has significantly expanded sanctions.
Currently, the Treasury Department has sanctions on 129
Venezuelan or Venezuelan-connected individuals and the
State Department has revoked the visas of hundreds of such
persons. The Trump Administration also has imposed
sanctions on Venezuela's state oil company (Petr6leos de
Venezuela, S.A., or PdVSA), government, central bank,
gold industry, and other entities, and it is increasingly
turning to secondary sanctions.

Sanctions have increased pressure on the Maduro
government, including accelerating the decline in
Venezuela's oil production. However, sanctions have not
yet led to a political transition. Maduro remains in power,
even though it has been eight months since the United
States recognized Juan Guid6, the head of Venezuela's
National Assembly, as the country's interim president and
ceased to recognize Maduro as the president of Venezuela.

Terrorism-Related Sanctions
Since 2006, the Secretary of State has made an annual
determination that Venezuela is not cooperating fully with
United States anti-terrorism efforts pursuant to Section
40A of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2781). The
most recent determination was made in May 2019. As a
result, the United States has prohibited all U.S. commercial
arms sales and retransfers to Venezuela since 2006.

In 2008, the Treasury Department imposed financial
sanctions on two individuals and two travel agencies in
Venezuela for providing financial support to the radical
Lebanon-based Islamic Shiite group Hezbollah. Pursuant to
E.O. 13224, the action aimed to impede terrorist funding.

Drug Trafficking-Related Sanctions
Since 2005, pursuant to procedures in the Foreign Relations
Authorization Act, FY2003 (P.L. 107-228, §706; 22 U.S.C.
229 lj), the President has made an annual determination that
Venezuela has failed demonstrably to adhere to its
obligations under international narcotics agreements.
President Trump made the most recent determination for
FY2020 in August 2019 but waived foreign aid restrictions
for programs that support the interim government.

The Treasury Department has imposed economic sanctions
on at least 22 individuals with connections to Venezuela
and 27 companies by designating them as Specially
Designated Narcotics Traffickers pursuant to the Foreign
Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (P.L. 106-120, Title
VIII; 21 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.).


Updated August 22, 2019


Designated individuals include several current or former
Venezuelan officials. Some of the more recent sanctions
include then-Vice President Tareck el Aissami in 2017 and
Pedro Luis Martin (a former senior intelligence official) and
two associates in May 2018. Others designated include drug
trafficker Walid Makled, three dual Lebanese-Venezuelan
citizens allegedly involved in a drug money laundering
network, and several Colombian drug traffickers with
activity in Venezuela.

Targeted Sanctions Related to Antidemocratic
Actions, Human Rights Violations, and Corruption
In response to increasing repression in Venezuela, Congress
enacted the Venezuela Defense of Human Rights and Civil
Society Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-278; 50 U.S.C. 1701 note) in
2014. Among its provisions, the law requires the President
to impose sanctions (asset blocking and visa restrictions)
against those whom the President identifies as responsible
for significant acts of violence or serious human rights
abuses or anyone who has ordered the arrest or prosecution
of a person because of the person's legitimate exercise of
freedom of expression or assembly. In 2016, Congress
extended this act through 2019 in P.L. 114-194.

In March 2015, President Obama issued E.O. 13692 to
implement P.L. 113-278, and the Treasury Department
issued regulations in July 2015 (31 C.F.R. Part 591). The
E.O. targets (for asset blocking and visa restrictions) those
involved in actions or policies undermining democratic
processes or institutions; those involved in acts of violence
or conduct constituting a serious human rights abuse; those
taking actions that prohibit, limit, or penalize the exercise
of freedom of expression or peaceful assembly; public
corruption by senior Venezuelan officials; and any person
determined to be a current or former leader of any entity
engaged in any activity described above or a current or
former official of the government of Venezuela.

Currently, the Treasury Department has financial sanctions
on 89 Venezuelans pursuant to E.O. 13692. Under the
Obama Administration, the Treasury Department froze the
assets of seven Venezuelans-six members of Venezuela's
security forces and a prosecutor who repressed protesters.
Under the Trump Administration, the Treasury Department
currently has sanctions on an additional 82 Venezuelan
officials, including President Maduro; his wife, Cecilia
Flores, and son, Nicolfis Maduro Guerra; Executive Vice
President Delcy Rodriguez; Diosdado Cabello (Socialist
party president); eight supreme court judges; the leaders of
Venezuela's army, national guard, and national police; four
state governors; the director of the Central Bank of
Venezuela; and the foreign minister. On May 7, 2019, the
Treasury Department lifted sanctions against the former
head of Venezuela's intelligence service, General Manuel


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