Venezuela's Vice President Tareck El Aissami (C) attends the swearing-in ceremony of the new board of directors of Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, next to Ramon Lobo, Venezuela's Economy Vice President, in Caracas, Venezuela January 31, 2017. REUTERS/Marco Bello
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. blacklisted Venezuela's Vice President Tareck El Aissami and an associate for drug trafficking, the first crackdown by the Trump administration against top officials in President Nicolas Maduro's government for money laundering and the drug trade.
The U.S. Department of Treasury said it designated El Aissami for sanctions under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. His associate, Samark Lopez Bello, was targeted for providing material assistance, financial support or goods or services in support of El Aissami's activities, Treasury said in a statement.
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