Although Venezuela remains subject to sanctions targeting the Government of Venezuela (GoV) and entities in which it holds a 50% or greater ownership interest, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued a series of General Licenses (GLs) representing the broadest easing of Venezuela-related sanctions in years.

The Trump Administration issued its “America’s Maritime Action Plan” on February 13, 2026. The MAP, as it is generally referred to, was called for by the President’s April 9, 2025, Executive Order titled “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance.” 

On January 20, 2026, Judge James E. Boasberg, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, dismissed a case challenging the constitutionality of section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920, known as the “Jones Act.”  The case was brought by Kōloa Rum Company against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in February 2025.