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| The US Treasury also slapped sanctions on a number of companies it said were tied to Bazzoni, catching the Italian restaurant owner in its net. (Photo by= Getty Images) |
[Asia News Communication = Reporter Reakkana] One of Donald Trump's last sanctions before he left office was mistakenly on a restaurant owner in Verona, Italy. BBC reported that the error happened as part of the Trump administration's crackdown on blacklisted Venezuelan crude oil.
A mistaken identity, restaurant owner Alessandro Bazzoni found himself on the US Treasury's blacklist in January but was finally taken off. Legal experts say this type of mistake happens regularly and can be costly. In 2019, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Venezuelan state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) as part of its strategy to force the resignation of President Nicolas Maduro. In its last full day in office in January this year, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on a different Alessandro Bazzoni over accusations he was tied to a network attempting to evade sanctions on Venezuela's oil sector.
The US Treasury also slapped sanctions on a number of companies it said were tied to Bazzoni, catching the Italian restaurant owner in its net. Months later, the mistake was spotted and the restaurant owner has now been removed. On Wednesday, the US Treasury acknowledged its error and removed him from its "specially designated nationals list". Speaking from his restaurant in Verona, Mr. Bazzoni told Reuters news agency it was a mistake and that he was thankful he was no longer involved.
