Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court Thursday decided not to pursue allegations by Venezuela that US sanctions had led to crimes against humanity, saying there was "no reasonable basis" for this accusation.
In 2020, Venezuela referred its case to ICC prosecutors saying that US sanctions since 2014 had led to crimes such as murder, deportation, and persecution.
The ICC quickly opened a preliminary investigation but announced on Thursday it was shelving its probe.
"There is no reasonable basis to believe that crimes within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court have been committed," the prosecutor's office said in a statement.
To open an investigation, there has to be a clear link between the US sanctions and the crimes alleged.
But the prosecutor said: "Having evaluated the information available, the Office has determined that the evidential requirements of causation and intent are not met."
Prosecutors said it was "generally accepted" the US sanctions "may have exacerbated an existing dire humanitarian situation".
However, that was not enough to prove "a sufficient causal nexus" between the sanctions and the crimes Venezuela was alleging, the prosecutors concluded.
Prosecutors have a separate probe ongoing into alleged crimes against humanity committed during crackdowns on protestors in Venezuela since 2014.
The prosecutor statement also noted that its actions on Thursday were "unrelated to the January 2026 events in Venezuela" during which the US military seized then president Nicolas Maduro and his wife from the country.
