The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced Tuesday that it has sanctioned 10 individuals and entities in Venezuela and Iran for their roles in supplying combat drones, missile-related materials, and military technology linked to Iran’s defense apparatus and Venezuela’s armed forces.
According to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the action targets a Venezuelan state-linked aerospace company involved in assembling Iranian-designed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as Iranian firms and intermediaries accused of procuring chemicals and technology used in ballistic missile and drone programs.
“Treasury is holding Iran and Venezuela accountable for their aggressive and reckless proliferation of deadly weapons around the world,” Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley said in a statement. “We will continue to take swift action to deprive those who enable Iran’s military-industrial complex access to the U.S. financial system.”
Iranian Combat Drones Assembled In Venezuela
OFAC designated Venezuela-based Empresa Aeronautica Nacional SA (EANSA) for its role in maintaining, assembling, and supporting Iranian-designed Mohajer-series UAVs operated by the Venezuelan military. The drones are manufactured by Iran’s Qods Aviation Industries (QAI) and rebranded locally as ANSU-series aircraft.
According to Treasury, EANSA directly negotiated with QAI and contributed to the sale of “millions of dollars’ worth” of Mohajer-6 combat drones to Venezuela. The Mohajer-6 is capable of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and precision-strike operations using Iranian-designed guided munitions.
EANSA was also involved in producing Venezuela’s first domestically assembled UAV, the ANSU-100, an armed derivative of Iran’s Mohajer-2 platform. Treasury said the drones are capable of deploying Qaem air-to-ground guided bombs.
OFAC also sanctioned Jose Jesus Urdaneta Gonzalez, EANSA’s chairman, for coordinating UAV production efforts with Iranian and Venezuelan military officials.
Missile And Weapons Procurement Network Targeted
In a separate set of designations, Treasury sanctioned Iranian individuals and companies accused of procuring chemicals used in ballistic missile development, including sodium perchlorate, sebacic acid, and nitrocellulose.
The materials were allegedly obtained for Parchin Chemical Industries (PCI), a component of Iran’s Defense Industries Organization, which was previously sanctioned by U.S. and United Nations nonproliferation authorities.
Treasury said the chemicals are used in solid rocket propellants and missile components regulated under the Missile Technology Control Regime.
OFAC also designated entities tied to the Rayan Fan Group, an Iranian defense conglomerate previously linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ UAV and aerospace programs.
Built On UN Sanctions Snapback
Treasury said the designations build on nonproliferation actions taken earlier this fall following the September 27 reimposition of United Nations sanctions on Iran.
That move restored restrictions under multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions addressing Iran’s nuclear, ballistic missile, and conventional arms activities, including prohibitions on missile technology, embargoes on arms transfers, and global asset freezes.
At the time, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the snapback concluded a process triggered by Iran’s continued “significant non-performance” of its nuclear commitments and authorized the seizure of weapons transferred by Iran to state and non-state actors.
Treasury officials said Tuesday’s action reflects the enforcement phase of those restored international restrictions.
Executed Under Presidential Directive
Treasury said the designations are being carried out pursuant to National Security Presidential Memorandum 2, signed earlier this year by President Donald Trump, which directs federal agencies to impose maximum pressure on Iran, disrupt its ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle programs, and deny resources to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and entities supporting its military-industrial network.
Context Of Growing Iran–Venezuela Scrutiny
The sanctions come amid increasing U.S. focus on Iran’s expanding military footprint in the Western Hemisphere and Venezuela’s role as a regional partner for U.S. adversaries.
Earlier this month, The Dallas Express reported that U.S. authorities are reviewing whistleblower-provided Venezuelan government materials describing a long-running Iran–Venezuela partnership spanning finance, mining, and military-linked cooperation. That reporting noted that the relationship had drawn heightened scrutiny in Washington but did not allege prosecutorial findings.
Separately, The Dallas Express has published warnings from former Venezuelan military intelligence chief Hugo Carvajal Barrios, who described Venezuela as a hostile state aligned with U.S. adversaries and accused the Maduro regime of coordinating state-directed operations against U.S. interests. Federal authorities have not independently verified all claims contained in Carvajal’s statements.
Treasury officials said Tuesday’s action reflects ongoing efforts to counter Iran’s weapons proliferation and deny resources to entities supporting its military-industrial complex.
Sanctions Implications
As a result of the designations, all property and interests of the sanctioned individuals and entities within U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them. Foreign financial institutions that knowingly facilitate transactions involving the sanctioned parties may also face secondary sanctions.
Treasury emphasized that sanctions are intended to bring about changes in behavior and said designated parties may petition for removal from the sanctions list in accordance with U.S. law.
The Treasury Department said it will continue monitoring Iran’s weapons exports and Venezuela’s role in facilitating military cooperation that threatens U.S. and allied security interests.