Venezuelan Vice President Targeted for U.S. Sanctions

Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela’s president, right, waves to attendees while accompanied by Tareck El Aissami, Venezuela’s vice president, before the start of his annual address at the Supreme Court in Caracas on Jan. 15, 2017. The Trump administration is preparing sanctions against Venezuelan Vice President Tareck El Aissami, who’s been under investigation for years by U.S. authorities for alleged participation in drug trafficking and money laundering, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Bipartisan US lawmakers urge Trump to sanction Venezuela

In this Nov. 14, 2016 file photo, a billboard along the highway near Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, features an ant drawing and the Spanish slogan, “Freedom from bachaqueros.” Venezuelans call people who make a living illegally reselling food “bachaqueros,” after the leaf-cutter ants that haul food through the jungles.