Criminal charges against Maduro by U.S. govt

The U.S. government on Friday announced criminal charges accusing a top official in the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of violating U.S. sanctions. Tareck Zaidan El Aissami Maddah, Venezuela's industry minister, was charged over his alleged use of private chartered jets arranged through U.S. companies.

The U.S. Department of Justice said El Aissami's illegal activity included a Feb. 23 return trip to Venezuela from Russia. El Aissami, 44, was charged with five criminal counts related to alleged violations of the federal Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, as well as sanctions imposed in February 2017.

Several other defendants were also charged in the case. Lawyers for El Aissami and the other defendants could not immediately be identified. Maduro's government was not immediately available for comment.