Image copyright AFP Image caption Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (R) and his vice-president Tareck El Aissami

Venezuelan authorities have ordered that US broadcaster CNN's Spanish-language channel be taken off air, accusing it of spreading propaganda.

The accusation relates to a report on the channel on alleged passport fraud at the Venezuelan embassy in Iraq.

Venezuela's National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel) ordered "the immediate suspension of broadcasts".

Conatel accused the channel of attempting to "undermine the peace and the democratic stability" of Venezuela.

It did not specifically mention the passport story, but government officials had earlier in the day disputed it at a press conference.

The story was the product of a year-long investigation into allegations that Venezuelan passports and visas were being sold to people in Iraq, including some with terrorism links.

The report alleged that Venezuelan Vice-President Tareck El Aissami was directly linked to the granting of 173 passports, including to members of the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which is designated a terrorist group by the US and other Western powers.

According to Venezuelan media, Conatel urged publishers and journalists to "provide timely and truthful information to our people, adjusted to the values of Venezuelan society".

Mr El Aissami has this week had sanctions imposed on him by the US for allegedly trafficking drugs. He was described by the US treasury as a drug "kingpin" who worked with traffickers in Mexico and Colombia to ship drugs to America.

He accused the US of "imperialist aggression" in response and President Nicolas Maduro demanded a public apology.</s>One by one, cable providers started dropping CNN Español's signal off their air in Venezuela as millions flipped through the channels, bewildered.

The decision to ax CNNE came swiftly in the form of an administrative order from CONATEL, the national telecommunications commission.

"The procedure is done in light of the content that the mentioned news station has systematically been broadcasting, which presents a clear aggression against the Venezuelan homeland," said CONATEL, which also silenced a national TV broadcaster a decade ago.

This time, the catalyst was CNN's investigation that allegedly uncovered "serious irregularities in the issuing of Venezuelan passports and visas, including allegations that passports were given to people with ties to terrorism." The accusations came from Misael Lopez, the former legal adviser to the Venezuelan Embassy in Iraq.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez said CNN aired fake, manipulated information in its passport investigation. And she alleged that the report's main source was "a delinquent who tried to steal Venezuela's money."

"CNNE started a psychological war, an operation of war propaganda, based on falsehoods," Rodríguez said.

As the CNN decision was coming down in Venezuela, President Donald Trump was meeting at the White House with Lilian Tintori, the wife of imprisoned Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez. Trump tweeted asking for the release of Lopez, who has been detained since February 2014 by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

Tintori met with Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, who has been pushing for sanctions against Venezuelan officials. With a discredited and divided opposition at home, Tintori — a mother of two — has become one of the leading figures opposing Maduro.

Meanwhile, Venezuelans are left with one fewer news channel on their limited airwaves.

"Venezuela's decision to take CNN en Español off the air is yet another serious blow to freedom of expression in the country and clearly indicates that the government of President Maduro is willing to widen its censorship power to restrict any critical coverage," said Carlos Lauría, senior program director for the Americas for the Committee to Protect Journalists.

With fewer and fewer options, Venezuelans have turned to alternative sites and social media for information.

"People are going crazy about the blockage, they urgently need an alternative. CNN was a glimmer of hope. It can't be taken from people," Gustavo Díaz, head of the website DolarToday, told NBC News.

The CNN report pointed to Vice President Tareck El Aissami as one of those responsible.

This week he was also in Washington's crosshairs. After accusing El Aissami of drug trafficking, the Trump administration imposed sanctions that block U.S. entities from doing business with him.

Maduro responded to what he called "defamation" by saying the Foreign Ministry would send a "protest letter" to the U.S. business attaché in Venezuela demanding a retraction.

The U.S. sanctions against El Aissami and his right-hand man, businessman Samark Lopez, target 13 companies, including five in the United States. Properties in Miami were worth tens of millions of dollars.

"Personally, I view this dreadful and miserable aggression as a recognition of my condition as an anti-imperialist revolutionary…WE WILL BE VICTORIOUS"

"They won't be able to handle our unwavering resolution to be FREE. Long live Chavez," he also tweeted, referring to Hugo Chavez, the revolutionary leader who founded the United Socialist Party of Venezuela and died of cancer in 2013.

Maduro's government is under increased pressure because of a crumbling economy, one of the highest inflation rates in the world and a nationwide shortage of food and medicine.</s>One by one, cable providers started dropping CNN Español's signal off their air in Venezuela as millions flipped through the channels, bewildered.

The decision to ax CNNE came swiftly in the form of an administrative order from CONATEL, the national telecommunications commission.

"The procedure is done in light of the content that the mentioned news station has systematically been broadcasting, which presents a clear aggression against the Venezuelan homeland," said CONATEL, which also silenced a national TV broadcaster a decade ago.

This time, the catalyst was CNN's investigation that allegedly uncovered "serious irregularities in the issuing of Venezuelan passports and visas, including allegations that passports were given to people with ties to terrorism." The accusations came from Misael Lopez, the former legal adviser to the Venezuelan Embassy in Iraq.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez said CNN aired fake, manipulated information in its passport investigation. And she alleged that the report's main source was "a delinquent who tried to steal Venezuela's money."

"CNNE started a psychological war, an operation of war propaganda, based on falsehoods," Rodríguez said.

As the CNN decision was coming down in Venezuela, President Donald Trump was meeting at the White House with Lilian Tintori, the wife of imprisoned Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez. Trump tweeted asking for the release of Lopez, who has been detained since February 2014 by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

Tintori met with Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, who has been pushing for sanctions against Venezuelan officials. With a discredited and divided opposition at home, Tintori — a mother of two — has become one of the leading figures opposing Maduro.

Meanwhile, Venezuelans are left with one fewer news channel on their limited airwaves.

"Venezuela's decision to take CNN en Español off the air is yet another serious blow to freedom of expression in the country and clearly indicates that the government of President Maduro is willing to widen its censorship power to restrict any critical coverage," said Carlos Lauría, senior program director for the Americas for the Committee to Protect Journalists.

With fewer and fewer options, Venezuelans have turned to alternative sites and social media for information.

"People are going crazy about the blockage, they urgently need an alternative. CNN was a glimmer of hope. It can't be taken from people," Gustavo Díaz, head of the website DolarToday, told NBC News.

The CNN report pointed to Vice President Tareck El Aissami as one of those responsible.

This week he was also in Washington's crosshairs. After accusing El Aissami of drug trafficking, the Trump administration imposed sanctions that block U.S. entities from doing business with him.

Maduro responded to what he called "defamation" by saying the Foreign Ministry would send a "protest letter" to the U.S. business attaché in Venezuela demanding a retraction.

The U.S. sanctions against El Aissami and his right-hand man, businessman Samark Lopez, target 13 companies, including five in the United States. Properties in Miami were worth tens of millions of dollars.

"Personally, I view this dreadful and miserable aggression as a recognition of my condition as an anti-imperialist revolutionary…WE WILL BE VICTORIOUS"

"They won't be able to handle our unwavering resolution to be FREE. Long live Chavez," he also tweeted, referring to Hugo Chavez, the revolutionary leader who founded the United Socialist Party of Venezuela and died of cancer in 2013.

Maduro's government is under increased pressure because of a crumbling economy, one of the highest inflation rates in the world and a nationwide shortage of food and medicine.</s>Venezuela's socialist government said on Thursday it would seek to block CNN's Spanish-language service online after pulling it off the airwaves in anger at its coverage of the South American nation.

U.S.-based "CNN en Espanol" became unavailable on Venezuela's main cable providers from Wednesday, but it could still be seen on YouTube and various other websites.

"Managers are coordinating with all internet providers, using the available technology, to make the respective blocks," Andres Mendez, head of state communications regulator Conatel, told state media.

"CNN en Espanol" has often taken a tough line toward President Nicolas Maduro's government, but particularly irked authorities here with a report alleging passports were sold illegally at Venezuela's embassy in Iraq, including to members of the Hezbollah movement.

Maduro was also furious at the network for giving prominence to comments by a girl who told him on live TV that some fellow students were fainting from hunger amid the OPEC nation's deep economic crisis.

CNN has stood by its reporting on Venezuela.

"We believe in the vital role that freedom of press plays in a healthy democracy," it said in a statement on Wednesday.

On Thursday, CNN President Jeff Zucker criticized the Maduro government's move.

"When authoritarian regimes around the world start attacking journalists like that, we all have a problem," Zucker told reporters at a press luncheon in New York.

CNN's Spanish-language service could still be easily accessed online in Venezuela by mid-afternoon on Thursday.

A small group of journalists, politicians and activists protested at Conatel's office in Caracas on Thursday, where a few dozen red-shirted government supporters also rallied in support of the measure against CNN.

Venezuelan authorities took Colombia's NTN24 TV network off the air in 2014 over its reporting of opposition protests that turned violent, and blocked Argentine news site Infobae.

Opponents say Maduro, who has seen his popularity slide since narrowly winning a 2013 election to replace the late Hugo Chavez, has morphed into a dictator by jailing opponents, sidelining the opposition-led congress and delaying local elections.

The 54-year-old former bus driver and foreign minister says he is fighting against well-financed coup plotters intent on ending socialist rule in Venezuela with the help of the United States and the connivance of hostile foreign media.

Venezuela's spat with CNN has come amid rising tensions with the United States this week.

U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed concern over Venezuela in various calls with South American leaders and met with the wife of the country's best-known jailed opposition leader, Leopoldo Lopez. The U.S. Treasury Department has blacklisted Maduro's vice president on accusations of drug-trafficking.</s>President Nicolas Maduro's government ordered the suspension of CNN's Spanish-language service from Venezuela's airwaves Wednesday, accusing it of distorting the truth in coverage.

U.S.-based CNN en Espanol became unavailable on Venezuela's major cable providers minutes after a statement by telecommunications regulator Conatel announcing the suspension. The network had irked the socialist government with various reports, including one alleging passports and visas were being sold illegally at Venezuela's embassy in Iraq.

Maduro at the weekend told CNN to "get out" of Venezuela after accusing it of manipulating comments by a girl who told him on live TV some school students were fainting from hunger.

"They defame and distort the truth ... inciting aggression against the sovereignty of Venezuela and its institutions," regulator Conatel said in its statement.

Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez also lambasted CNN, saying the whistle-blower in the passports' story was an opposition-linked Venezuelan working for "imperialist" agencies.

CNN said the Maduro government was unfairly denying Venezuelans a 20-year news service they had enjoyed, but added that its signal would be available for free on YouTube.

"At CNN en Espanol we believe in the vital role that freedom of press plays in a healthy democracy," it added.

The spat with the network has come at a delicate time in U.S.-Venezuelan ties after Washington this week blacklisted Maduro's Vice President Tareck El Aissami on drug charges in the first bilateral flare-up under new U.S. President Donald Trump.

Venezuelan officials have reacted furiously to that, though they appear to be trying to avoid provoking Trump.

"I don't want problems with Trump," Maduro said on TV on Wednesday, adding that CNN had become "an instrument of war." About an hour later, Trump called for the release of prominent jailed Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez in a tweet, posing in a photo with Lopez's wife, Lilian Tintori.

In various calls with Latin American leaders, Trump has expressed concern about the Maduro government, yet it remains to be seen whether Trump will prioritize Venezuela.

OPEC member Venezuela is immersed in a deep economic crisis, with inflation in triple digits, shortages of basic goods and many people going hungry.

Maduro, whose popularity has plunged during the crisis, blames the problems on an "economic war" waged by the United States and local opponents with the complicity of foreign media.

Opponents say he has become a dictator, jailing opponents, sidelining the opposition-led congress and delaying local elections. Officials say opponents are seeking a coup.

Foreign journalists are finding it increasingly hard to obtain visas to operate in Venezuela, and two Brazilian reporters said they were expelled at the weekend while trying to investigate unfinished works by construction giant Odebrecht.

At CNN en Español we believe in the vital role that freedom of press plays in a healthy democracy. Today the government of Venezuela pulled our television signal, denying Venezuelans news and information from our television network, which they have relied upon for 20 years. CNN en Español will continue to fulfill its responsibility to the Venezuelan public by offering our live signal on YouTube free of charge and news links on CNNEspanol.com, so they may have access to information not available to them in any other way. This happens days after we aired our investigation “Passports in the Shadows” which revealed that Venezuelan authorities may have issued passports and visas to people with ties to terrorism. CNN stands by our network’s reporting and our commitment to truth and transparency.</s>President Nicolas Maduro had earlier said he wanted the US-based CNN news channel "out" of the country, where state media dominate (AFP Photo/Juan BARRETO)

Caracas (AFP) - Venezuela pulled CNN's Spanish-language television channel off the air on Wednesday, accusing it of spreading "propaganda" about an alleged visa racket at the country's embassy in Iraq.

The state National Telecommunications Commission ordered "the immediate suspension of broadcasts by the news channel CNN in Spanish" in Venezuela, a government statement said.

President Nicolas Maduro had earlier said he wanted the US-based news channel "out" of the country, where state media dominate.

Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez told reporters the government had "ordered the relevant authorities to take action" against the channel.

Shortly after she spoke, the government made its announcement and the channel disappeared from the air, AFP reporters in Caracas said.

She branded one of the channel's sources in the report, embassy employee Misael Lopez, a "delinquent."

CNN en Espanol on February 6 broadcast a report alleging that Venezuelan passports and visas had been sold at the Baghdad embassy to Arabs who the channel said may have been linked to terrorism.

The report named Maduro's new hardline vice president, Tareck El Aissami, as one of those behind the racket.

Hardline former interior minister El Aissami, 42, is next in line to Maduro and would take over if the opposition succeeded in its bid to oust the leader in a vote.

El Aissami was targeted separately on Monday by US authorities who announced sanctions against him for alleged drug trafficking.

Rodriguez said the CNN report was "based absolutely on falsehoods."

The channel "has launched an operation of psychological warfare, a war propaganda operation," she said.

The US Treasury Department on Monday accused El Aissami and an ally, businessman Samark Jose Lopez Bello, of being major cocaine traffickers.

The drug allegations against El Aissami had already raised tensions between Washington and Caracas, which had so far been cautious in its stance towards the administration of new US President Donald Trump.

Maduro on Tuesday demanded the United States apologize for the sanctions and vowed to respond "forcefully."

Rodriguez lodged a diplomatic complaint on Wednesday with the US Embassy in Caracas.

On Sunday the socialist president said in his own television program: "I want CNN out of Venezuela."

The US Treasury department froze the US assets of El Aissami and Lopez Bello, and banned US nationals from doing business with them.

The Caracas government credits El Aissami with cracking down on drug trafficking while serving as interior minister.

But the US Treasury says he actually oversaw shipments of cocaine from Venezuela to Mexico and the United States.

The Venezuelan armed forces also threw their weight behind El Aissami on Wednesday.

In a statement, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez called the sanctions "a new act of interference by the United States" aimed at destabilizing Venezuela.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Monday's move against El Aissami was part of a broad crackdown on drug trafficking and "terrorism."

The accusations triggered the latest in a series of rows over the years between Venezuela's leftist leaders and Washington, the "imperialist" power it loves to hate.

Trump has not yet personally detailed his stance on the situation in Venezuela.

A severe economic crisis in Venezuela driven by falling prices for its crucial oil exports has contributed to food shortages and deep economic disarray, raising pressure to remove Maduro from power.</s>CARACAS: President Nicolas Maduro's government ordered the suspension of CNN's Spanish-language service from Venezuela's airwaves on Wednesday, accusing it of distorting the truth in coverage.

U.S.-based 'CNN en Espanol' became unavailable on Venezuela's major cable providers minutes after a statement by telecommunications regulator Conatel announcing the suspension.

The network had irked the socialist government with various reports, including one alleging passports and visas were being sold illegally at Venezuela's embassy in Iraq.

Maduro at the weekend told CNN to "get out" of Venezuela after accusing it of manipulating comments by a girl who told him on live TV some school students were fainting from hunger.

"They defame and distort the truth ...inciting aggression against the sovereignty of Venezuela and its institutions," regulator Conatel said in its statement.

Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez also lambasted CNN, saying the whistleblower in the passports' story was an opposition-linked Venezuelan working for "imperialist" agencies.

CNN said the Maduro government was unfairly denying Venezuelans a 20-year news service they had enjoyed, but added that its signal would be available for free on YouTube.

"At CNN en Español we believe in the vital role that freedom of press plays in a healthy democracy," it added.

The spat with the network has come at a delicate time in U.S.-Venezuelan ties after Washington this week blacklisted Maduro's Vice President Tareck El Aissami on drug charges in the first bilateral flare-up under new U.S. President Donald Trump.

Venezuelan officials have reacted furiously to that, though they appear to be trying to avoid provoking Trump.

"I don't want problems with Trump," Maduro said on TV on Wednesday, adding that CNN had become "an instrument of war."

About an hour later, Trump called for the release of prominent jailed Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez in a tweet, posing in a photo with Lopez's wife Lilian Tintori.

In various calls with Latin American leaders, Trump has expressed concern over the Maduro government, yet it remains to be seen whether Trump will prioritise Venezuela.

OPEC member Venezuela is immersed in a deep economic crisis, with inflation in triple digits, shortages of basic goods, and many people going hungry.

Maduro, whose popularity has plunged during the crisis, blames the problems on an "economic war" waged by the United States and local opponents with the complicity of foreign media.

Opponents say he has become a dictator, jailing opponents, sidelining the opposition-led congress and delaying local elections. Officials say opponents are seeking a coup.

Foreign journalists are finding it increasingly hard to obtain visas to operate in Venezuela, and two Brazilian reporters said they were expelled at the weekend while trying to investigate unfinished works by construction giant Odebrecht.</s>CARACAS: Venezuela pulled CNN's Spanish-language television channel off the air on Wednesday (Feb 15), accusing it of spreading "propaganda" about an alleged visa racket at the country's embassy in Iraq.

The state National Telecommunications Commission ordered "the immediate suspension of broadcasts by the news channel CNN in Spanish" in Venezuela, a government statement said.

President Nicolas Maduro had earlier said he wanted the US-based news channel "out" of the country, where state media dominate.

Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez told reporters the government had "ordered the relevant authorities to take action" against the channel.

Shortly after she spoke, the government made its announcement and the channel disappeared from the air, AFP reporters in Caracas said.

She branded one of the channel's sources in the report, embassy employee Misael Lopez, a "delinquent."

CNN en Espanol on Feb 6 broadcast a report alleging that Venezuelan passports and visas had been sold at the Baghdad embassy to Arabs who the channel said may have been linked to terrorism.

The report named Maduro's new hardline vice president, Tareck El Aissami, as one of those behind the racket.

Hardline former interior minister El Aissami, 42, is next in line to Maduro and would take over if the opposition succeeded in its bid to oust the leader in a vote.

El Aissami was targeted separately on Monday by US authorities who announced sanctions against him for alleged drug trafficking.

Rodriguez said the CNN report was "based absolutely on falsehoods."

The channel "has launched an operation of psychological warfare, a war propaganda operation," she said.

The US Treasury Department on Monday accused El Aissami and an ally, businessman Samark Jose Lopez Bello, of being major cocaine traffickers.

The drug allegations against El Aissami had already raised tensions between Washington and Caracas, which had so far been cautious in its stance towards the administration of new US President Donald Trump.

Maduro on Tuesday demanded the United States apologise for the sanctions and vowed to respond "forcefully."

Rodriguez lodged a diplomatic complaint on Wednesday with the US Embassy in Caracas.

On Sunday the socialist president said in his own television programme: "I want CNN out of Venezuela."

The US Treasury department froze the US assets of El Aissami and Lopez Bello, and banned US nationals from doing business with them.

The Caracas government credits El Aissami with cracking down on drug trafficking while serving as interior minister.

But the US Treasury says he actually oversaw shipments of cocaine from Venezuela to Mexico and the United States.

The Venezuelan armed forces also threw their weight behind El Aissami on Wednesday.

In a statement, Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez called the sanctions "a new act of interference by the United States" aimed at destabilising Venezuela.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Monday's move against El Aissami was part of a broad crackdown on drug trafficking and "terrorism."

The accusations triggered the latest in a series of rows over the years between Venezuela's leftist leaders and Washington, the "imperialist" power it loves to hate.

Trump has not yet personally detailed his stance on the situation in Venezuela.

A severe economic crisis in Venezuela driven by falling prices for its crucial oil exports has contributed to food shortages and deep economic disarray, raising pressure to remove Maduro from power.</s>Venezuela has pulled CNN’s Spanish-language television channel off the air, accusing it of spreading “propaganda” about an alleged visa racket at the country’s embassy in Iraq. The state National Telecommunications Commission ordered “the immediate suspension of broadcasts by the news channel CNN in Spanish” in Venezuela, a government statement said.

Watch what else is making news:

President Nicolas Maduro had earlier said he wanted the US-based news channel “out” of the country, where state media dominate. Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez told reporters the government had “ordered the relevant authorities to take action” against the channel. Shortly after she spoke, the government made its announcement and the channel disappeared from the air, AFP reporters in Caracas said.

She branded one of the channel’s sources in the report, embassy employee Misael Lopez, a “delinquent.” CNN en Espanol on February 6 broadcast a report alleging that Venezuelan passports and visas had been sold at the Baghdad embassy to Arabs who the channel said may have been linked to terrorism. The report named Maduro’s new hardline vice president, Tareck El Aissami, as one of those behind the racket.

Hardline former interior minister El Aissami, 42, is next in line to Maduro and would take over if the opposition succeeded in its bid to oust the leader in a vote. El Aissami was targeted separately on Monday by US authorities who announced sanctions against him for alleged drug trafficking. Rodriguez said the CNN report was “based absolutely on falsehoods.”

The channel “has launched an operation of psychological warfare, a war propaganda operation,” she said. The US Treasury Department on Monday accused El Aissami and an ally, businessman Samark Jose Lopez Bello, of being major cocaine traffickers. The drug allegations against El Aissami had already raised tensions between Washington and Caracas, which had so far been cautious in its stance towards the administration of new US President Donald Trump.

Maduro on Tuesday demanded the United States apologize for the sanctions and vowed to respond “forcefully.” Rodriguez lodged a diplomatic complaint yesterday with the US Embassy in Caracas. On Sunday the socialist president said in his own television program: “I want CNN out of Venezuela.”

The US Treasury department froze the US assets of El Aissami and Lopez Bello, and banned US nationals from doing business with them. The Caracas government credits El Aissami with cracking down on drug trafficking while serving as interior minister. But the US Treasury says he actually oversaw shipments of cocaine from Venezuela to Mexico and the United States.</s>CARACAS: Venezuela pulled CNN's Spanish-language television channel off the air on Wednesday (Feb 15), accusing it of spreading "propaganda" about an alleged visa racket at the country's embassy in Iraq.

The state National Telecommunications Commission ordered "the immediate suspension of broadcasts by the news channel CNN in Spanish" in Venezuela, a government statement said.

President Nicolas Maduro had earlier said he wanted the US-based news channel "out" of the country, where state media dominate.

Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez told reporters the government had "ordered the relevant authorities to take action" against the channel.

Shortly after she spoke, the government made its announcement and the channel disappeared from the air, AFP reporters in Caracas said.

She branded one of the channel's sources in the report, embassy employee Misael Lopez, a "delinquent."

CNN en Espanol on Feb 6 broadcast a report alleging that Venezuelan passports and visas had been sold at the Baghdad embassy to Arabs who the channel said may have been linked to terrorism.

The report named Maduro's new hardline vice president, Tareck El Aissami, as one of those behind the racket.

Hardline former interior minister El Aissami, 42, is next in line to Maduro and would take over if the opposition succeeded in its bid to oust the leader in a vote.

El Aissami was targeted separately on Monday by US authorities who announced sanctions against him for alleged drug trafficking.

Rodriguez said the CNN report was "based absolutely on falsehoods."

The channel "has launched an operation of psychological warfare, a war propaganda operation," she said.

The US Treasury Department on Monday accused El Aissami and an ally, businessman Samark Jose Lopez Bello, of being major cocaine traffickers.

The drug allegations against El Aissami had already raised tensions between Washington and Caracas, which had so far been cautious in its stance towards the administration of new US President Donald Trump.

Maduro on Tuesday demanded the United States apologise for the sanctions and vowed to respond "forcefully."

Rodriguez lodged a diplomatic complaint on Wednesday with the US Embassy in Caracas.

On Sunday the socialist president said in his own television programme: "I want CNN out of Venezuela."

The US Treasury department froze the US assets of El Aissami and Lopez Bello, and banned US nationals from doing business with them.

The Caracas government credits El Aissami with cracking down on drug trafficking while serving as interior minister.

But the US Treasury says he actually oversaw shipments of cocaine from Venezuela to Mexico and the United States.

The Venezuelan armed forces also threw their weight behind El Aissami on Wednesday.

In a statement, Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez called the sanctions "a new act of interference by the United States" aimed at destabilising Venezuela.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Monday's move against El Aissami was part of a broad crackdown on drug trafficking and "terrorism."

The accusations triggered the latest in a series of rows over the years between Venezuela's leftist leaders and Washington, the "imperialist" power it loves to hate.

Trump has not yet personally detailed his stance on the situation in Venezuela.

A severe economic crisis in Venezuela driven by falling prices for its crucial oil exports has contributed to food shortages and deep economic disarray, raising pressure to remove Maduro from power.
Venezuela bans CNN en Español, CNN's 24-hour Spanish language television channel, after accusing it of spreading propaganda.