US slaps sanctions on Venezuela's state-run gold industry

The Treasury Department has issued a new wave of sanctions against Venezuela in an increasing effort to put pressure on dictator Nicolas Maduro’s regime and promote opposition leader Juan Guaido’s claim to power.

Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control confirmed Tuesday that the United States is enforcing new sanctions on the South American country’s gold mining company, Minerven, which the Trump administration has identified as an important financial lifeline for the Maduro regime.