The U.S. Department of the Treasury on December 31 announced new sanctions targeting foreign companies and oil tankers involved in exporting Venezuelan oil in violation of U.S. sanctions, tightening pressure on the regime of Nicolás Maduro.
According to Treasury, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned four companies operating in Venezuela’s oil sector and identified four oil tankers as blocked property for their role in sanctions evasion. Officials said the vessels are part of a “shadow fleet” used to move oil and generate revenue for the Maduro regime.
“These vessels continue to provide financial resources that fuel Maduro’s illegitimate narco-terrorist regime,” Treasury said, adding that the regime increasingly relies on opaque shipping networks to evade international restrictions.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the action reflects continued enforcement of sanctions policy under President Donald Trump.
“President Trump has been clear: We will not allow the illegitimate Maduro regime to profit from exporting oil while it floods the United States with deadly drugs,” Bessent said. “The Treasury Department will continue to implement President Trump’s campaign of pressure on Maduro’s regime.”
Companies And Tankers Targeted
OFAC said the newly sanctioned entities operated in Venezuela’s oil sector and had interests in tankers that transported Venezuelan crude.
Those designated include:
- Corniola Limited and Krape Myrtle Co LTD, linked to the oil tanker NORD STAR (IMO 9323596)
- Winky International Limited, linked to the tanker ROSALIND, also known as LUNAR TIDE (IMO 9277735)
- Aries Global Investment LTD, linked to the tankers DELLA (IMO 9227479) and VALIANT (IMO 9409247)
Treasury said all four vessels are being treated as blocked property due to the ownership interests of the designated companies.
Background On Venezuela Oil Sanctions
The action builds on long-standing U.S. sanctions against Venezuela’s state-run oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A., commonly known as PDVSA.
OFAC designated PDVSA in January 2019 under Executive Order 13850 for operating in Venezuela’s oil sector. Additional measures were imposed later that year under Executive Order 13884, effectively blocking the company’s property and interests subject to U.S. jurisdiction.
Treasury said the latest sanctions complement other recent actions taken in December against PDVSA-linked officials, associates, and vessels.
Dallas Express Coverage Of Venezuela’s Narco-State
This Treasury action follows a series of federal enforcement moves that align with prior The Dallas Express reporting on Venezuela’s use of oil revenue, criminal networks, and foreign intermediaries to sustain the Maduro regime.
The Dallas Express has published multiple exclusives detailing how Venezuelan oil exports and covert logistics networks help finance narcotics trafficking, transnational criminal organizations, and terrorism-linked activity tied to the Maduro government.
DX reporting previously documented allegations that oil revenue and regime-linked networks enabled the export of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua into the United States, as well as evidence of cooperation between Venezuela and Iran involving weapons systems, drones, and sanctions-evasion infrastructure.
President Donald Trump previously ordered a “total and complete blockade” of sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers, citing terrorism-related allegations that aligned with themes previously reported by The Dallas Express. Treasury has since announced additional sanctions enforcement actions targeting oil revenues and regime-linked networks connected to Venezuela.
The latest sanctions against oil traders and tankers represent a continuation of that enforcement trajectory, focusing on the financial and logistical systems U.S. officials say sustain Maduro’s regime.
Sanctions Implications
As a result of the designations, all property and interests in property of the sanctioned entities and blocked vessels that are in the United States or under the control of U.S. persons are frozen and must be reported to OFAC.
U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions involving the blocked parties unless authorized by OFAC. Treasury warned that violations of U.S. sanctions may result in civil or criminal penalties, including for foreign persons and financial institutions that facilitate prohibited transactions.
OFAC emphasized that sanctions enforcement is conducted on a strict liability basis and warned that companies engaged in oil trade tied to sanctioned actors face ongoing exposure to enforcement risk.
