The U.S. is reportedly reading new sanctions on Venezuelan government officials as they tighten their grip on power more than a month after the disputed presidential elections.
Bloomberg reported that the Treasury Department is close to announcing "15 individual sanctions on Maduro-affiliated officials." The official argument is that they "obstructed the holding of free and fair presidential elections," as the government claimed to have won the presidential elections despite not showing supporting documentation to back its claim.
Among those set to be sanctioned are members of the National Electoral Council (CNE), the National Assembly, the Supreme Court and law enforcement agencies. The outlet added that the decision could be announced as soon as this week.
The Biden administration has already begun taking measures in that direction, seizing on Monday an aircraft used by Maduro for personal and official purposes. Authorities cited violations of U.S. sanctions and other criminal activities for their decision, with the plane flown to Florida from the Dominican Republic.
The seizure is seen as a bold move by U.S. authorities, aimed at sending a strong message to the Venezuelan leadership. As one U.S. official told CNN: "seizing the aircraft of a foreign head of state is a milestone in criminal matters. We are making it clear that no one is above the law, and no one is beyond the reach of U.S. sanctions."
As the electoral fallout unfolded throughout the past month, there was speculation about the U.S. offering amnesty to Maduro and other officials in exchange for agreeing to a transition of power. A report by The Wall Street Journal said that the U.S. had put "everything on the table" to persuade them to leave, including openness to providing guarantees not to pursue regime figures for extradition.
Maduro currently faces a $15 million bounty from the U.S. for information leading to his arrest on charges of conspiring with his allies to flood the country with narcotics. Other top officials are in the same situation.
However, more than a month on, they remain entrenched in power with both parties moving toward tougher positions. A few hours after the plane was seized, a government-friendly court granted an arrest warrant for opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, whose claim about winning the elections is backed by several countries in the international community.
Attorney General Tarek William Saab shared the warrant on Instagram, showing Urrutia accused of "serious crimes." González Urrutia and another top opposition leader, María Corina Machado, have been in hiding following the elections due to fear of being arrested. Maduro has called for the arrest of both.
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