The Latest: US imposes sanctions on Venezuela Supreme Court


              A masked anti-government protester shields himself during clashes with security forces, in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, May 18, 2017. The protest in Caracas comes after a tumultuous 24 hours of looting and protests in the western state of Tachira that led the government to send in troop reinforcements. More than 40 people have been killed in almost two months of unrest in Venezuela. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
A masked anti-government protester shields himself during clashes with security forces, in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, May 18, 2017. The protest in Caracas comes after a tumultuous 24 hours of looting and protests in the western state of Tachira that led the government to send in troop reinforcements. More than 40 people have been killed in almost two months of unrest in Venezuela. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - The latest on the political crisis in Venezuela (all times local):

4:35 p.m.

The Trump administration is imposing sanctions on members of Venezuela's Supreme Court following a series of rulings that the U.S. says has usurped power from the nation's opposition-controlled congress and sparked a deadly wave of unrest.

The U.S. Department of Treasury announced Thursday it is freezing the assets of eight Venezuelan government officials on the Supreme Court in an effort to support the Venezuelan people "in their efforts to protect and advance democratic governance."

A ruling issued in late March that stripped Venezuela's congress of its last powers was later reversed amid a storm of international criticism. But near-daily anti-government protests were triggered by the ruling and have continued across the country, with more than 40 people killed.

The U.S. move marks the second round of sanctions Trump has imposed on high-level Venezuelan officials since taking office.

Upcoming Events