US sanctions Venezuelan judge, prosecutor over Citgo convictions
3 years, 11 months ago

US sanctions Venezuelan judge, prosecutor over Citgo convictions

Al Jazeera  

The Trump administration imposed sanctions on a judge and prosecutor for the conviction of six American oil executives. The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on the Venezuelan judge and prosecutor behind the conviction on corruption charges of six American oil executives. Presiding over the trial were Judge Lorena Carolina Cornielles Ruiz and prosecutor Ramon Antonio Torres Espinoza, who as a result of Wednesday’s action will be blocked from doing business in the US and have any bank accounts or property there seized. “The unjust detention and sentencing of these six US persons further demonstrates how corruption and abuse of power are deeply embedded in Venezuela’s institutions,” said Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin.

Venezuela Venezuelan Citgo Imposed Sanctions  maduro  prosecutor  venezuelan  citgo  power  oil  imposed  sanctions  trump  judge  company  convictions

History of this topic

US sanctions 16 allies of Venezuela’s president over accusations of obstructing the election
3 months, 1 week ago

US sanctions 16 allies of Venezuela’s president over accusations of obstructing the election

Associated Press  

MEXICO CITY — The U.S. government on Thursday responded to Venezuela’s disputed July presidential election by imposing sanctions against 16 allies of President Nicolás Maduro, accusing them of obstructing the vote and carrying out human rights abuses. Venezuela’s electoral authorities declared Maduro the victor hours after polls closed, but unlike previous presidential elections, they never released detailed vote tallies to …

U.S. sanctions 16 allies of Venezuela’s president over accusations of obstructing election
3 months, 1 week ago

U.S. sanctions 16 allies of Venezuela’s president over accusations of obstructing election

LA Times  

Since he was declared winner of a disputed election, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government has been accused of carrying out repressive measures, including arbitrary detentions, intimidation tactics and killings. The U.S. government on Thursday responded to Venezuela’s disputed July presidential election by imposing sanctions against 16 allies of President Nicolás Maduro, accusing them of obstructing the vote and carrying out …

Venezuela denounces, rejects US seizure of Citgo oil firm
6 months, 1 week ago

Venezuela denounces, rejects US seizure of Citgo oil firm

China Daily  

Xinhua | Updated: 2024-06-18 09:50 CARACAS -- The Venezuelan government on Monday expressed its strong condemnation of the US authorities' process of "seizure of Citgo Petroleum Corporation." The government of Venezuela and PDVSA were excluded from the judicial sale of Citgo and were prevented from defending their rights before US courts," said the Venezuelan government in a statement. It added …

Billionaire Texas oilman inks deal with Venezuela’s state-run oil giant as US sanctions loom
8 months ago

Billionaire Texas oilman inks deal with Venezuela’s state-run oil giant as US sanctions loom

Associated Press  

MIAMI — A company started by a Texas billionaire oilman announced a deal Wednesday with Venezuela’s state-owned oil company to rehabilitate five aging oil fields, days after the Biden administration put a brake on sanctions relief over concerns about the fairness of the country’s upcoming presidential election. It was created last year as a result of a merger with a …

US reimposes oil sanctions on Venezuela as hopes for a fair presidential election fades
8 months, 1 week ago

US reimposes oil sanctions on Venezuela as hopes for a fair presidential election fades

Associated Press  

MIAMI — The Biden administration on Wednesday reimposed crushing oil sanctions on Venezuela, admonishing President Nicolás Maduro’s attempts to consolidate his rule just six months after the U.S. eased restrictions in a bid to support now fading hopes for a democratic opening in the OPEC nation. “There’s no sanction, no threat, that today can damage our efforts to build a …

Venezuela: US moves to reimpose sanctions over Maria Corina Machado ban from presidential election
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Venezuela: US moves to reimpose sanctions over Maria Corina Machado ban from presidential election

CNN  

CNN — The US has reimposed economic sanctions against a Venezuelan state-owned mining company and says it could go on to reimpose further sanctions on the country’s oil and gas sector after Venezuela’s Supreme Court barred main opposition candidate Maria Corina Machado from running for president last week. While US economic sanctions against the mining company are unlikely to cause …

Shadowy brokers walk off with billions in Venezuelan oil
1 year, 8 months ago

Shadowy brokers walk off with billions in Venezuelan oil

Associated Press  

CARACAS, Venezuela — One startup lists as its address a small home in a working-class district in Venezuela’s capital whose owner has never heard of the firm. They are among the dozens of obscure middlemen at the center of a new crackdown in Venezuela on corruption in the state-run oil industry that has government insiders scurrying for cover — and …

Top Venezuela oil official pleads guilty to taking bribes
1 year, 8 months ago

Top Venezuela oil official pleads guilty to taking bribes

Associated Press  

MIAMI — The former general counsel for Venezuela’s state-owned oil company pleaded guilty in Miami federal court on money laundering charges Wednesday in connection to a conspiracy to siphon at least $550 million from state coffers through corrupt currency deals. “I came here to own up to my mistakes and to take responsibility before the U.S. courts.” Nass, 43, in …

Venezuela oil czar in surprise resignation amid graft probes
1 year, 9 months ago

Venezuela oil czar in surprise resignation amid graft probes

Associated Press  

CARACAS, Venezuela — The man responsible for running Venezuela’s oil industry — the one that pays for virtually everything in the troubled country, from subsidized food to ridiculously cheap gas — has quit amid investigations into alleged corruption among officials in various parts of the government. “This is really a chance for the regime to sideline someone that it felt …

Venezuela arrests brother of ex oil czar in corruption probe
2 years, 3 months ago

Venezuela arrests brother of ex oil czar in corruption probe

Associated Press  

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela has thrown back in prison the brother of the country’s former oil czar as part of an ongoing investigation into a multi-billion dollar embezzlement scheme at the state-run oil company. Ramirez was originally arrested in early 2018 for his alleged involvement in a decade-old scheme to siphon to a bank account in the tiny European country …

US removes relative of Venezuela’s Maduro from sanctions list
2 years, 6 months ago

US removes relative of Venezuela’s Maduro from sanctions list

Al Jazeera  

Carlos Erik Malpica Flores, an ex-national treasurer, was put on blacklist in 2017 on charges of undermining democracy. The United States has lifted sanctions against a relative of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, weeks after Washington said it was taking steps to encourage dialogue between Maduro’s government and the US-backed Venezuelan opposition. The US Department of the Treasury confirmed on Friday …

US moves to ease a few economic sanctions on Venezuela
2 years, 7 months ago

US moves to ease a few economic sanctions on Venezuela

Al Jazeera  

The limited changes will allow Chevron Corp to negotiate its licence with the state-owned oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela. The United States government is moving to ease a few economic sanctions on Venezuela in a gesture meant to encourage resumed negotiations between the US-backed opposition and the government of President Nicolás Maduro. The limited changes will allow Chevron Corp to …

American freed from Venezuela says his ‘nightmare’ has ended
2 years, 9 months ago

American freed from Venezuela says his ‘nightmare’ has ended

Associated Press  

MIAMI — An American oil executive freed from custody in Venezuela said that even as he celebrates with his family the end of a long “nightmare,” he’s praying for the release of five colleagues who are still imprisoned and “deserve the same blessings.” Gustavo Cardenas arrived to his home in Houston at 4 a.m. Wednesday after flying overnight from Caracas …

Possible Russia oil embargo drives US outreach to Venezuela
2 years, 9 months ago

Possible Russia oil embargo drives US outreach to Venezuela

Associated Press  

MIAMI — Senior U.S. officials secretly traveled to Venezuela over the weekend in a bid to unfreeze hostile relations with Vladimir Putin’s top ally in Latin America, a top oil exporter whose re-entry into U.S. energy markets could mitigate the fallout at the pump from a possible oil embargo on Russia. But the impetus for a risky outreach to Maduro …

Venezuela upholds long jail sentences for US oil executives
2 years, 10 months ago

Venezuela upholds long jail sentences for US oil executives

Associated Press  

MIAMI — A court in Venezuela has upheld long prison sentences for six American oil executives detained in the South American country on corruption charges for more than four years. Venezuela’s supreme court announced the ruling late Friday, disappointing family members who had hoped the surprise decision last fall to hear the appeal, and a recent jailhouse visit by a …

Venezuela judge grants appeals to detained US oil execs
3 years, 1 month ago

Venezuela judge grants appeals to detained US oil execs

Al Jazeera  

The so-called ‘Citgo 6’ have been held since 2017, with the US accusing Caracas of using the group as a bargaining chip. A judge in Venezuela has granted an appeal to six United States oil executives imprisoned in the country for four years on corruption charges. Washington has repeatedly accused Caracas of using the men – five naturalised US citizens …

Venezuela halts talks after Maduro ally’s extradition to US
3 years, 2 months ago

Venezuela halts talks after Maduro ally’s extradition to US

Associated Press  

MIAMI — Venezuela’s government said Saturday it would halt negotiations with its opponents in retaliation for the extradition to the U.S. of a close ally of President Nicolás Maduro who prosecutors believe could be the most significant witness ever about corruption in the South American country. Saab is expected to make his initial appearance in court on Monday in Miami, …

Venezuelan tycoon sues US to lift narcotics sanctions
3 years, 5 months ago

Venezuelan tycoon sues US to lift narcotics sanctions

Associated Press  

MIAMI — A top Venezuelan businessman close to President Nicolas Maduro’s government has sued the U.S. Department of Treasury, alleging he’s the victim of a false campaign identifying him as a international narcotics kingpin. The lawsuit filed Tuesday by Samark López in Washington federal court said sanctions in 2017 designating him a “drug kingpin” had devastated his wealth, reputation and …

Venezuelan officials knew of deal Citgo 6 were jailed for: Report
3 years, 9 months ago

Venezuelan officials knew of deal Citgo 6 were jailed for: Report

Al Jazeera  

Three ministers knew about the proposed deal for Citgo to borrow up to $4bn, according to documents seen by Reuters. Six executives of United States oil refiner Citgo have been jailed in Caracas on graft charges since 2017, but court documents seen by Reuters news agency show that top Venezuelan officials were made aware of the deal that the country’s …

Trump signs last-minute order shielding Venezuelan migrants from deportation
3 years, 11 months ago

Trump signs last-minute order shielding Venezuelan migrants from deportation

LA Times  

A man stands in front of signs displaying prices of products in U.S. dollars outside a grocery store in the Quinta Crespo neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela. In his final few hours in office, President Trump signed an order late Tuesday shielding tens of thousands of Venezuelan migrants from deportation, rewarding the Venezuelan exiles who have been among his most loyal …

Trump administration imposes Venezuelan oil-related sanctions
3 years, 11 months ago

Trump administration imposes Venezuelan oil-related sanctions

Al Jazeera  

The United States Treasury targeted three individuals, 14 entities and six vessels for their alleged ties to a network attempting to assist Venezuela’s oil sector. The United States on Tuesday sanctioned a network of oil trading firms, individuals and vessels that have helped Venezuelan state-run oil company Petroleos de Venezuela sell crude mainly to Asia despite Washington’s sanctions on the …

US sanctions Venezuelan judge, prosecutor over CITGO 6
3 years, 11 months ago

US sanctions Venezuelan judge, prosecutor over CITGO 6

CNN  

CNN — The Trump administration on Wednesday unveiled sanctions on a Venezuelan judge and prosecutor for their roles in the prosecution and sentencing of six US oil executives, collectively known as the “CITGO 6.” Judge Lorena Carolina Cornielles Ruiz presided over the trial and “ultimately sentenced each of the six US persons on charges of corruption with prison sentences between …

Venezuelan court sentences six former Citgo executives to prison
4 years ago

Venezuelan court sentences six former Citgo executives to prison

Al Jazeera  

The six have denied wrongdoing and a lawyer on their defence team said they planned to appeal. A Venezuelan court sentenced six former executives of United States refiner Citgo to prison after finding them guilty of corruption on Thursday. The former president of the company, Jose Pereira, was fined $2m and sentenced to 13 years and seven months in jail, …

‘CITGO 6’ found guilty and sentenced in Venezuela
4 years ago

‘CITGO 6’ found guilty and sentenced in Venezuela

CNN  

CNN — Six US oil executives who traveled to Venezuela in 2017 and were arrested on corruption charges have been found guilty, according to a person familiar with the case. CITGO employees Tomeu Vadell, Gustavo Cardenas, Jorge Toledo, Alirio Jose Zambrano, Jose Luis Zambrano and Jose Angel Pereira were sentenced to between 8 and 13 years, the source said. The …

Ex-US governor says Americans not released from Venezuela
4 years, 5 months ago

Ex-US governor says Americans not released from Venezuela

Associated Press  

CARACAS, Venezuela — Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said he met with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Thursday but was unable to win the release of several Americans jailed in the South American nation. “We regret that we were not able to secure the release of the Americans,” Richardson said in a statement, adding that he met with in …

Discover Related