U.S. freezes assets of 4 Venezuelans

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Four Venezuelan officials have been designated as acting on behalf of a narco-terrorist group and their U.S. assets have been frozen, federal officials said.

The designation bars U.S. residents or citizens from doing business with the four, the Department of the Treasury said in a statement Thursday.

The officials allegedly aided the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, also known as FARC. The Office of Foreign Assets Control said they meet the standards of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act.

"Today's action exposes four Venezuelan government officials as key facilitators of arms, security, training and other assistance in support of the FARC's operations in Venezuela," OFAC Director Adam Szubin said. "OFAC will continue to aggressively target the FARC's support structures in Venezuela and throughout the region."

The four are Amilcar Jesus Figueroa Salazar, a member of Venezuela's delegation to the Latin American Parliament; Army Maj. Gen. Cliver Antonio Alcala Cordones; Freddy Alirio Bernal Rosales, a United Socialist Party congressman; and Ramon Isidro Madriz Moreno, an officer in the Venezuelan intelligence service.