U.S. blacklists Rosneft unit to choke off funds for Venezuela's Maduro government

The Trump administration on Tuesday moved to tighten financial restrictions on Venezuela, blacklisting a subsidiary of Russian oil firm Rosneft, which U.S. officials have said provides a lifeline to President Nicolas Maduro's government.

The sanctions, announced on the U.S. Department of Treasury's website, target Rosneft Trading. The United States also issued a general license allowing companies until May 20 to wind down their transactions with the company, according to a notice on the department's website.