In this March 12, 2020 file photo, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro gives a press conference at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela. (MATIAS DELACROIX / AP)

NEW YORK - UN investigators monitoring compliance with sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) are looking into a possible military and technology deal between Pyongyang and Venezuela and have warned Caracas that it could be in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

In two previously unreported letters to Venezuela’s UN ambassador, Samuel Moncada - sent in October and last month and seen by Reuters - the independent panel of UN experts asked for specific terms of the agreement and spelled out the UN sanctions that could bar such a deal

In two previously unreported letters to Venezuela’s UN ambassador, Samuel Moncada - sent in October and last month and seen by Reuters - the independent panel of UN experts asked for specific terms of the agreement and spelled out the UN sanctions that could bar such a deal.

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The probe comes as US sanctions on the South American country, intended to force out President Nicolas Maduro over allegations he rigged his 2018 re-election, and increasing diplomatic isolation are pushing Venezuela to deepen ties with US adversaries like Iran and the DPRK.

“Taking into consideration that such cooperation is a recognized way for the DPRK to violate relevant UN resolutions, the Panel would like to request a response ... concerning information regarding above suspected cooperation,” panel coordinator Alastair Morgan wrote on June 12.

The country has been subject to UN sanctions since 2006. The sanctions have been strengthened by the 15-member UN Security Council over the years in a bid to cut off funding for Pyongyang’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

The UN panel of experts reports annually to the council on sanctions compliance.

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In its latest annual report, on March 2, the panel said it had started probing a possible military and technological cooperation deal signed by Diosdado Cabello - who leads Venezuela’s ruling socialist party and a legislative body known as the National Constituent Assembly loyal to Maduro - during a September 2019 Pyongyang trip.

Following publication of this story, Elliott Abrams, Washington’s special representative for Venezuela, said he would look further into the correspondence and the lack of a reply from Venezuela.

“A violation of UN sanctions is...potentially a very serious thing for the Maduro regime,” Abrams told reporters. “One of the other impacts besides any potential sanctions themselves is reminding countries around the world about the nature of this regime and the partners it seeks.”

Reuters could not verify whether a military and technological deal between the DPRK and Venezuela exists, and the UN report and letters did not provide any details. In an Oct 2, 2019, tweet, Maduro congratulated Cabello for the “tremendous agreements” signed during his recent Asian tour, which included stops in the DPRK and Vietnam.

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The investigators’ October letter to Moncada includes a news report about the Maduro tweet as an exhibit; it was unclear whether their probe has unearthed further evidence beyond that report.

People, wear face masks as they rest in Sabana Grande's boulevard, in Caracas, Venezuela, on May 14, 2020 amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. (FEDERICO PARRA / AFP)

During a conversation with Cabello on state television the night of the tweet, Maduro referenced military agreements but did not provide details or specify whether they were signed with the DPRK or Vietnam.

“You were deployed with our brothers in North Korea and Vietnam, reaching great agreements for agricultural production, political formation, industrial production, commercial and energy exchange, for military support and cooperation,” Maduro said.

The DPRK is also referred to as North Korea.

Venezuela’s information ministry, which responds to media inquiries on behalf of the government, and Moncada did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the UN investigation. The DPRK’s UN mission in New York also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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During the televised conversation with Maduro, Cabello described the DPRK in almost utopian terms, praising the cleanliness of its streets and stating he did not see “a single person with a bitter or sad face.”

“On the streets, children walk home singing happily, they stop at corners to listen to orchestras playing for them as they pass. And who’s in the orchestras? Children, as well,” Cabello said. But he also made reference to a “secret,” adding, “What I saw later I will tell you in person.”

Maduro replied: “All I can say is, tremendous agreement.”