Trump administration announces new Venezuela sanctions

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The Trump administration stepped up sanctions on Venezuela Friday in response to the kidnapping of a top aide for an leader the U.S wants to see replace the embattled — but not yet ousted — President Nicolas Maduro.

The Treasury Department announcement came while the President Donald Trump met with leaders from five nations in the Caribbean that generally support the U.S. call for an end to Maduro's rule. Trump hosted them at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida and pledged U.S. investment in their countries.

The new sanctions, issued in response to the kidnapping, specifically target Venezuela's national development bank, BANDES, and four additional subsidiaries that BANDES owns or controls.

"The regime's continued use of kidnapping, torture and murder of Venezuelan citizens will not be tolerated by the U.S. or the international coalition" that is united behind Juan Guaido, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. He was referring to the opposition leader recognized by more than 50 countries as the legitimate interim leader following a flawed ballot that resulted in Maduro's re-election.

Earlier this week, forces affiliated with the Maduro government broke into the homes of officials backing Guaido and threatened them with their lives. Guaido's chief of staff, Roberto Marrero, was kidnapped. In an op-ed published Friday in The Miami Herald, Vice President Mike Pence said the kidnapping was an "egregious violation of the rule of law" and was only the latest example of Maduro's "brutality and despotism."

"We're not bluffing when we told Maduro not to do stuff like this (the kidnapping)," John Bolton, Trump's national security adviser told Univision News in an interview aired Friday.

The U.S. has already sanctioned scores of top Venezuelan...