Venezuela president Nicolás Maduro to be charged by US as terrorism sponsor: report

The Trump administration is expected to designate Venezuela as a state sponsor of terrorism and charge its president Nicolás Maduro.

The U.S. Justice Department is expected to unseal charges against Maduro and other senior Venezuelan leaders as soon as Thursday for allegedly supporting terrorism, which would allow the U.S. to implement additional sanctions, reported CNN.

Only four other countries -- Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria -- have been charged as state sponsors of terrorism.

The designation comes months after Maduro's leadership was challenged following an election that was condemned by international authorities and met with massive domestic protests.

The U.S. and many other countries have instead recognized Juan Guaidó, president of Venezuela's National Assembly, as that country's leader.