The Trump administration on Thursday sanctioned three of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s nephews for alleged narco-trafficking as part of its ongoing pressure campaign against the dictator’s “illegitimate regime.” The move comes as Trump has repeatedly demanded that Maduro resign and authorized military strikes against suspected narco-trafficking vessels. Two of the three nephews are convicted narco-traffickers who were granted clemency in October 2022 by the Biden administration as part of a prisoner exchange for seven U.S. nationals. Both men returned to Venezuela and were active in drug trafficking as of 2025, according to State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott. Pigott said the sanctions also target Venezuela’s oil sector, an unnamed businessman, and six shipping companies, while designating six vessels as blocked property. “As the leader of the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) Cartel de los Soles, Maduro continues to destabilize our region,” Pigott said. “He and his cronies have flouted the will of the Venezuelan people and devastated the country’s economy.” Maduro was sworn in as president earlier this year to serve a third six-year term despite evidence that his opponent, Edmundo González, won twice as many votes. González ran for the position after opposition leader María Corina Machado was barred from running by the Maduro regime. Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships “The U.S. government will continue to deny financial lifelines to the illegitimate Maduro regime, which he uses to oppress the Venezuelan people,” Pigott added. “The United States is committed to keeping the American people safe by using all available means to eliminate threats of narco-trafficking and crime throughout our hemisphere.” Machado arrived in Oslo on Thursday, where she was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her decades‑long struggle for democracy in Venezuela. After secretly fleeing Venezuela despite a travel ban, Machado missed the ceremony in the Norwegian capital by just a few hours.  Machado has expressed support for President Donald Trump’s hard-line stance on Venezuela and has publicly called for American intervention, citing the presence of Russian and Iranian agents as well as drug cartels in her country. At the time she received the award, she dedicated it in part to Trump. On Sunday, Trump declared Venezuelan airspace effectively off-limits. Trump has ramped up his attack on suspected narco-vessels from Venezuela and has said that he would soon expand the strikes. “We’re going to start doing those strikes on land too,” the president said last week. “The land is much easier. It’s much easier. And we know the routes they take. We know everything about them. We know where they live. We know where bad ones live, and we’re going to start that very soon, too.” Any country trafficking illegal narcotics is a possible target, Trump added, specifically mentioning Colombia and Venezuela.  “Not just Venezuela. Venezuela has been very bad. Venezuela has been really bad in something else, probably worse than most, but a lot of other people do it too,” Trump said.  Trump said his administration’s efforts have already cut drug trafficking through maritime routes by more than 90%.