US sanctions Venezuela, Iran-based individuals, entities allegedly linked to drone trade

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US Treasury Department on Tuesday rolled out new sanctions on 10 individuals and entities based in Venezuela and Iran, accusing them of involvement in Tehran’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program and weapons "proliferation" activities.

Announced by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the designations include a Venezuelan company accused of contributing to Iran’s UAV trade with Venezuela.

US officials said the sanctions are intended to disrupt Iran-Venezuela cooperation that supports Tehran’s military-industrial complex.

The department listed Venezuela-based Empresa Aeronautica Nacional SA (EANSA) and its chair, Jose Jesus Urdaneta Gonzalez, which it said have acquired Iranian‑designed UAVs.

It argued that Urdaneta, on behalf of EANSA, coordinated with members and representatives of the Venezuelan and Iranian armed forces on the production of UAVs in Venezuela.

"Treasury is holding Iran and Venezuela accountable for their aggressive and reckless proliferation of deadly weapons around the world," said Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John Hurley.

The US will continue to take "swift action to deprive those who enable Iran’s military-industrial complex access to the U.S. financial system," Hurley was quoted as saying by OFAC.