Maduro government officials sanctioned by the US
The United States government announced a series of sanctions against 21 Venezuelans, among whom are leaders of key security agencies and civilian members of the government by Nicolás Maduro. Washington maintains that the sanctioning measures are due to the role they played in the “electoral fraud” in the July 28 elections and the subsequent repression of demonstrations and against the opposition.
These sanctions, implemented through the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)block any property or interest in assets of those sanctioned in the United States, in addition to prohibiting transactions with US entities. “These actions seek to hold accountable those who have allowed and carried out undemocratic acts and systematic human rights violations,” the Treasury Department highlighted in a press release.
Who are those sanctioned by the US?
GNB officials
According to the text, The GNB “has led the violent repression after the elections. “Members of the GNB used their firearms to repress protesters, arrest and beat minors, and carry out arbitrary detentions.” Furthermore, it says, the security agency “was deployed to control the protests, sometimes taking a leading role beyond its constitutionally assigned responsibilities.” These are those sanctioned:
- Dilio Guillermo Rodríguez Díaz: commander of the REDI Capital. He previously served as commander of the ZODI Capital 81 and as rector of the Bolivarian Military University.
- José Yunior Herrera Duarte: He has served as head of GNB Zone Command No. 51 since 2022.
- Carlos Eduardo Aigster Villamizar: He has served as commander and division general chief for the Miranda state of the ZODI since 2023. He also served as commander of the GNB Zone Command No. 62 in the state of Bolívar.
- Jesús Rafael Villamizar Gómez: He is the central commander of REDI since 2024. He previously served as commander of La Guaira ZODI and as head of the Presidential Honor Guard. He is suspected of personal enrichment while working as a high-ranking Venezuelan official.
- Ángel Daniel Balestrini Jaramillo: He serves as commander of ZODI Aragua.
- Pablo Ernesto Lizano Colmenter: He serves as commander of the ZODI Barinas.
- Luis Gerardo Reyes Rivero: He serves as commander and division general of the ZODI Yaracuy.
- José Alfredo Rivera Bastardo: is Deputy Minister of Defense Services of the MPPD. He previously served as GNB services director for the Internal Order Maintenance Division and as commander of ZODI Falcón.
- Alberto Alexander Matheus Meléndez: He has served as director of the GNB Logistics Division since 2024. Previously he was head of the National Anti-Drug Command of Venezuela.
- Jesús Ramón Fernández Alayon: He is a division general, second commander and chief of staff of the Bolivarian National Guard.
BNP, Sebin, Dgcim and militia officials
Those sanctioned:
- Rubén Darío Santiago Servigna: He has been a brigadier general of the BNP (it is a Venezuelan security office responsible for harassment and arbitrary arrests) since 2023. He is also the officer in charge of implementing the citizen security electoral operation.
- Alexis José Rodríguez Cabello: He is the director of Sebin. He is the cousin of the Minister of the Interior, Justice and Peace, Diosdado Cabello Rondón, who has been sanctioned by OFAC since 2018.
- Javier José Marcano Tábata: He is the head of the Dgcim and the Presidential Honor Guard.
- Orlando Ramón Romero Bolívar: He has commanded the Bolivarian Militia since 2024. He also served as REDI’s central commander.
Others sanctioned
“The following people are officials aligned with Maduro from various ministries, in charge of executing policies to support antidemocratic acts,” the statement highlights.
- Aníbal Eduardo Coronado Millán: He has served as a minister in the office of President Maduro since April 2024. He is also the head of government in the Francisco de Miranda Insular Territory. He previously served in the Presidential Honor Guard.
- William Alfredo Castillo Bolle: He is the Vice Minister of Anti-Blockade Policies since 2022 in the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Foreign Trade of Venezuela since 2022.
- Ricardo José Menéndez Prieto: He has been Vice President of Planning since 2014. He previously served as Minister of Higher Education, Minister of Industry and Minister of Science, Technology and Intermediate Industry.
- Freddy Alfred Nazareth Ñáñez Contreras: He is Minister of Communication and sectoral vice president of Communication, Culture and Tourism.
- Daniella Desiree Cabello Contreras: President of the Export Promotion Agency since September 2024. Previously she served as president of the Venezuelan Country Brand Foundation. She is the daughter of Diosdado Cabello Rondón.
- Julio José García Zerpa: He has been Maduro’s Minister of Penitentiary Services since 2024. He previously served as a deputy for the state of Táchira and holds the position of first vice president of the Finance Commission of the National Assembly aligned with Maduro (AN).
- America Valentina Perez Davila: She has served as second vice president of the AN.
So far there are more than 180 Venezuelan officials and 100 Venezuelan entities with sanctions in the United States.
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