U.S. Treasury Designates Venezuela’s Vice President under Narco Kingpin Act

On February 13, 2017, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Tareck Zaidan El Aissami Maddah (El Aissami), a Venezuelan national and the Executive Vice President of Venezuela since January 2017, as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act) for playing a significant role in international narcotics trafficking.    OFAC also designated El Aissami’s main frontman, Venezuelan national Samark Jose Lopez Bello (Lopez Bello) for providing material assistance, financial support, or goods or services in support of the international narcotics trafficking activities of, and acting for or on behalf of, El Aissami.  OFAC also designated or identified as blocked property 13 companies owned or controlled by Lopez Bello or other designated parties that comprise an international network spanning the British Virgin Islands, Panama, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Venezuela.