WASHINGTON _ The Trump administration is taking steps to punish anyone doing business with the Venezuelan defense sector _ including foreign entities trying to quell dissent by shutting down the internet. It's the latest effort by the administration to ratchet up pressure on the Caracas government and oust Nicolas Maduro from power.
The U.S. government has initiated the legal authority to sanction any entity, foreign or domestic, that does business with the Venezuelan defense or security services, a senior administration official told a small group of reporters Friday.
The official warned that foreign companies doing business with Venezuela should be "treading lightly on that front."
