WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has added the first lady of Nicaragua and one of her senior aides to a sanctions list as it tries to increase pressure on President Daniel Ortega's government for its violent response to a political crisis.
U.S. officials say First Lady and Vice President Rosario Murillo de Ortega and senior aide Nestor Moncada Lau share responsibility for a crackdown on political opponents that has left more than 300 people dead in the Central American country since April.
The designation freezes any assets they may have in the U.S. and blocks their access to the U.S. financial system.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Tuesday the sanctions are intended to prevent senior government officials from using the U.S. to "profit at the expense of the Nicaraguan people."
