U.S. revokes tons of visas from Venezuela

The United States has revoked hundreds of visas from Venezuelans since Monday, nearly a third of which belonged to former diplomats from Venezuela and their families, and is urging U.S. citizens in Venezuela to flee the country days after the United States withdrew its diplomats from Venezuela, the State Department said on Thursday.

"Since this Monday ... we have revoked 340 visas, 107 of which include visas of Maduro's former diplomats and their families," State Department spokesman Robert Palladino told reporters.

The United States has been stepping up actions against President Nicolas Maduro's government as it tries to pressure Maduro to step down.