United States Imposes Sanctions on Venezuela for Drone Trade with Iran

Sanctions Imposed on Venezuelan Company

Washington, DC – The United States has imposed sanctions against a Venezuelan company, accusing it of assisting in the procurement of drones designed in Iran, amid escalating tensions between Washington, Tehran, and Caracas. The sanctions target Empresa Aeronautica Nacional SA (EANSA), a Venezuelan firm that the U.S. Department of the Treasury accused of "maintaining and overseeing the assembly" of drones from Qods Aviation Industries of Iran, which is already under U.S. sanctions.

Among those sanctioned is the company's president, Jose Jesus Urdaneta Gonzalez, who is accused of coordinating "with members and representatives of the Venezuelan and Iranian armed forces in the production of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) in Venezuela." "The Treasury is holding Iran and Venezuela accountable for the aggressive and reckless proliferation of deadly weapons worldwide," stated Treasury official John Hurley in a press release. "We will continue to act swiftly to hold accountable those who facilitate the Iranian military-industrial complex's access to the U.S. financial system," he added.

The sanctions freeze any assets of the targeted firms and individuals in the U.S. and make it illegal for American citizens to engage in financial transactions with them. In its statement, the U.S. asserted that Tehran and Caracas have coordinated the "supply" of drones to Venezuela since 2006. Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) has been under U.S. sanctions since 2020 due to its role in the sale and acquisition of arms.