OFAC Sanctions Four Venezuela Military Officials

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned four officials of Venezuela’s General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence accused of human rights abuses, Treasury said in a July 19 press release. The sanctioned officials are: Division General Rafael Ramón Blanco Marrero, Colonel Hannover Esteban Guerrero Mijares, Major Alexander Enrique Granko Arteaga and Colonel Rafael Antonio Franco Quintero. The sanctions follow alleged human rights abuses involved in the arrest, torture and death of Venezuelan Navy Captain Rafael Acosta Arévalo, Treasury said. OFAC used Acosta’s death as justification for sanctioning the Venezuelan military agency on July 11 (see 1907110040).