EXCLUSIVE-U.S. mulls sanctions against Venezuelan lawmakers over bid to seize congress -sources

The Trump administration is considering sanctions against some of the Venezuelan lawmakers who took part in a bid supported by President Nicolas Maduro to wrest control of the country's congress from U.S.-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Deliberations over the possible sanctions targets, including Maduro-backed lawmaker Luis Parra, are in the early stages, and a final decision is not imminent, one of the sources told Reuters on Tuesday. Venezuelan troops blocked Guaido from entering parliament on Sunday for what was expected to be his re-election as head of Congress, allowing Maduro's socialist party to hand the post to Parra. Later in the day, opposition legislators quickly re-elected Guaido - recognized by dozens of nations as Venezuela's rightful interim leader - at the offices of a pro-opposition newspaper.