US hits 4 senior Venezuelan officials with sanctions

WASHINGTON – The Trump administration imposed sanctions Friday on four senior Venezuelan military officials for alleged corruption and repression, in a bid to raise the pressure on President Nicolas Maduro's government.

Among those targeted in the Treasury Department's action are Rodolfo Marco Torres, a retired general who is now Aragua state's governor, and Francisco Rangel Gomez, another former general and previous governor of Bolivar state.

The Associated Press last year collected documents and testimony from business owners describing Marco Torres, a former Venezuelan food minister, as a key figure involved in fraudulent food imports.