The United States announced sanctions on Tuesday, December 30, targeting Iran’s drones trade with Venezuela, a move that comes while Washington ramps up a pressure campaign against Venezuela’s leftist President Nicolas Maduro. The US Treasury Department took aim at 10 individuals and entities based in Venezuela and Iran, over issues including purchases of Iranian-designed drones, efforts to procure chemicals used for ballistic missiles and other concerns.

“Treasury is holding Iran and Venezuela accountable for their aggressive and reckless proliferation of deadly weapons around the world,” said Treasury Under Secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, John Hurley. “We will continue to take swift action to deprive those who enable Iran’s military-industrial complex access to the US financial system,” he added in a statement.

The sanctions were unveiled as President Donald Trump’s administration stepped up pressure on Maduro, who has accused the US leader of seeking regime change. Trump said Monday that the United States hit and destroyed a docking area for alleged Venezuela drug boats, in what could amount to the first land strike of the military campaign against trafficking from Latin America.

‘Threat to US interests’

The US Treasury said its latest action builds on its nonproliferation designations in support of a reimposition of United Nations sanctions and other restrictions on Iran. It said Iran’s unmanned aerial vehicle and missile programs “threaten US and allied personnel in the Middle East and destabilize commercial shipping in the Red Sea.” Among those impacted are Venezuelan company Empresa Aeronautica Nacional SA and its chair, which the US Treasury said had acquired Iranian-designed drones.

“Iran’s ongoing provision of conventional weapons to Caracas is a threat to US interests in our region,” said Thomas Pigott, a State Department spokesperson, in a separate statement. He said the Venezuela firm had “contributed to the sale of millions of dollars’ worth” of combat drones. “The entities and individuals designated today demonstrate Iran is actively proliferating its combat UAVs and continues to procure missile-related items in violation of UN restrictions,” he added.