The Trump administration has slapped sanctions on Venezuelan Vice President Tareck El Aissami, accusing him of playing a major role in international drug trafficking.
The announcement that he will be sanctioned under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act was made on the Treasury Department's website late on Monday.
El Aissami has been the target of US law enforcement for years over his alleged ties to Venezuela's largest convicted drug trafficker and a Middle Eastern militant group.
As part of the action, El Aissami's US assets were frozen and he'll be barred from entering the United States.
The US government is also sanctioning Samark Lopez, a wealthy Venezuelan businessman believed to be El Aissami's main front man.
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There was no immediate reaction from El Aissami, but he has long denied any criminal ties.
The action is likely to further antagonise the United States' already tense relations with Venezuela, its
