President Nicolas Maduro addresses supporters during a rally marking the anniversary of the Battle of Santa Ines, which took place during Venezuela's 19th-century Federal War, in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
The Donald Trump administration has imposed sanctions on the nephews of Nicolás Maduro, as the US continues to build pressure on the Venezuelan President. According to The Associated Press, three nephews of Maduro — Franqui Flores, Carlos Flores and Efrain Campo, were among those sanctioned on Thursday.
Maduro’s nephews, associates sanctioned by US
The sanctions are meant to deny them access to any property or financial assets held in the US, and the penalties are intended to prevent US companies and citizens from doing business with them. Banks and financial institutions that violate that restriction expose themselves to sanctions or enforcement actions.
President Nicolas Maduro waves a flag during a rally marking the anniversary of the Battle of Santa Isabel, which took place during Venezuela’s 19th-century Federal War, in Caracas. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)
Also on the sanction list is Panamanian businessman Ramon Carretero, six firms and six Venezuela-flagged ships accused of transporting Venezuelan oil.
Carretero is accused of facilitating oil shipments on behalf of the Venezuelan government, and the Treasury says he has had business dealings with the Maduro-Flores family, including partnering in several companies together.
Venezuela says US migrant repatriation flight suspended
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s interior ministry said late on Thursday that the United States has suspended a migrant repatriation flight which had been set to arrive on Friday.
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“This Thursday, we have received the decision of the government of the United States to suspend, unilaterally, the return of Venezuelan citizens who had been scheduled to return on December 12,” the interior ministry said in a statement late on Thursday night.
This image from video posted on Attorney General Pam Bondi’s X account, and partially redacted by the source, shows an oil tanker being seized by US. forces off the coast of Venezuela. (U.S. Attorney General’s Office/X via AP)
The Very Large Crude Carrier, which can carry a maximum of 2 million barrels of oil, is too large to enter the Houston port and will need to anchor close by and offload the cargo to smaller ships, a source told Reuters.
Earlier, on Thursday, the White House had said that the US plans to seize the oil from the tanker after completing the legal process.
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President Nicolas Maduro addresses supporters during a rally marking the anniversary of the Battle of Santa Ines, which took place during Venezuela's 19th-century Federal War, in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) 
