Trump Administration Sanctions Russian Oil Firm for Venezuelan Support

Today, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced that it would be sanctioning a Russian Oil Firm, Rosneft Trading S.A., which is a Swiss-incorporated, Russian-controlled oil brokerage firm, for supporting the Maduro Regime in Venezuela.

In addition, the Office of Foreign Assets Control also designated the chairman of the board of directors and president of the oil firm, Didier Casimiro, for acting on behalf and purporting to act on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the firm.

In a statement, Florida Senator Rick Scott (R) praised the Treasury Department, expressing that “Nicolas Maduro is not the legitimate leader of Venezuela.”

Maduro “is a thug and a dictator who is perpetrating a genocide on his people and profiting off their suffering.” Because of that, he commended the Treasury Department for “taking action against foreign entities that prop up the corrupt Maduro regime.”

He added that “the quickest way to end his brutal regime is to cut off the supply of money and this is an important step in that direction.”

However, the former Governor of Florida noted that “we must remain vigilant,” saying that “the United States and all freedom-loving nations around the world need to do everything in our power to isolate Maduro in Venezuela.”

Freshman Florida Rep Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D) also released a statement after having asked the Trump administration to do more regarding the Maduro Regime and its support from other countries.

“It’s no secret that Maduro has been using petroleum profits to prop up his narco-authoritarian regime, and these types of sanctions have been necessary for a long time now,” she expressed.

Furthermore, Mucarsel-Powell commented that “it’s clear that the United States must develop a more comprehensive strategy on Venezuela that brings in our global allies to increase the effectiveness of our diplomatic and humanitarian efforts.”

Moreover, the Florida lawmaker also made a call, admitting that “we must extend immigration relief to Venezuelans in the United States, so we urge Senate Republicans and the president to support our bipartisan TPS bill.”