The United States on Tuesday announced sanctions against a subsidiary of Russian state-controlled oil giant Rosneft over its continued trade with Venezuela in defiance of Washington's attempt to break leftist President Nicolas Maduro's grip on power.
Officials in President Donald Trump's administration said Rosneft Trading SA and Rosneft vice president Didier Casimiro were targeted in the latest measures.
One official, speaking on condition of not being identified, called Rosneft Trading SA "the prime culprit" in helping Maduro escape the effect of US economic sanctions.