Moscow, March 13 (RHC)-- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is criminalizing Russian companies for doing business with the Venezuelan state, saying they are violated U.S. imposed sanctions by making transactions with Venezuela’s sanctioned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA).

Pomeo announced that the assets of Evrofinance Mosnarbank -- a Russia-Venezuela state-owned financial organization -- would be frozen and U.S. citizens would be prohibited from doing business with the joint venture, according to Reuters.

The U.S. State Department said in a statement that Evrofinance was violating a Trump decree because it is a “foreign financial institution that materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of (PDVSA).”

According to Sputnik News, in response, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Pompeo's "accusations that Russian oil company Rosneft bought Venezuelan oil in violation of Washington sanctions contradicts international law."