WASHINGTON, March 19 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Treasury slapped sanctions on Monday on four current and former senior Venezuelan officials, accusing them of alleged economic mismanagement and corruption.

The designated individuals include a director of the country's National Bank of Housing and Habitat, the head of the body that oversees price controls in Venezuela, the head of the National Treasury of Venezuela, and the former President of the Board of Directors of the Venezuelan Institute of Social Security.

As a result of the punishment, all assets of the designated persons that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction are frozen, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing with them.

The Treasury's announcement followed an executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump earlier in the day prohibiting U.S. transactions with Venezuela's digital currency, a move to further block the South American country's access to U.S. financial market.

Trump said in the executive order that the new move was to counter the latest attempt from the Maduro administration "to circumvent U.S. sanctions."

In late February, Venezuela launched the presale of its own cryptocurrency, a type of digital or virtual currency, backed by its crude oil reserves, as a new financing option against financial sanctions imposed by Washington, which forbid U.S. businesses from lending to the Venezuelan government or the state-run oil and gas company PDVSA.

The U.S. Treasury Department said earlier that the digital currency could violate the sanctions against Venezuela, warning investors who acquire it of legal consequences.

The Venezuelan government has been the subject of increased pressure and sanctions from abroad, including the United States and the European Union, for alleged electoral fraud, corruption and causing widespread poverty.