View source for Venezuela Arrests U.S. Fugitive As Part Of Oil Graft Purge

MIAMI (AP) - Authorities in Venezuela have brought corruption charges against a businessman who is a fugitive in a separate U.S.<br>money laundering case targeting a top ally of the country's president, Nicolás Maduro.<br> Alvaro Pulido, wearing an orange jumpsuit and handcuffed, was among a group of seven Venezuelan officials and businessmen escorted by a masked security agent on their way to an initial judicial hearing in Caracas in images shared Friday by Venezuela's government.<br>[https://armut.com/fiyatlari/evden-eve-nakliyat_142 armut.com] The men were taken into custody as part of a  into corruption in the state-run oil company PDVSA focused on the payment of massive bribes in exchange for  [https://techbite.info/kelly-vetoes-bill-to-cut-kansas-taxes-1-4b-over-3-years/ evDen Eve NakliyaT] lucrative contracts to move tankers of Venezuelan crude sanctioned by the U.S.<br> Pulido stands out among the more than 50 alleged schemers already arrested because of his relationship to <br> The two Colombians were long-time business partners who made a fortune selling food and other items to [https://www.cnn.com/2014/02/22/world/americas/venezuela-socialism/ Venezuela's socialist] government over the past decade.<br><br>The two were criminally charged together in 2019 by federal prosecutors in Miami for allegedly siphoning off $350 million from state contracts to build low income housing. Saab was arrested on a U.S. warrant a year later while en route to Iran.<br> Pulido's arrest in Venezuela, which had been rumored for weeks but not confirmed until now, has no direct relationship to the U.S.<br><br>criminal case.<br> But it nonetheless could complicate Saab's argument that he is a  entitled to immunity from prosecution in the U.S., said John Feeley, a former U.S.<br>Ambassador to Panama with decades of experience working in Latin America. That issue is set to be<br> "With Pulido's arrest, Saab's defense begins to crumble," Feeley said.  If you liked this information and you would certainly such as to receive additional details relating to [https://evigetir.com/ntpc/form.html evDen eVe naKliyAT] kindly browse through our webpage. "He will now have a hard time insisting on diplomatic status when his business partner is facing corruption charges in Caracas."<br> A federal district judge in Miami has already ruled that Saab is unable to shield himself from criminal charges and must stand trial.<br><br>His lawyers have appealed the decision and argue that documents and letters he was purportedly carrying at the time of his arrest during a refueling stop in Cape Verde prove he was conducting official business on behalf of Maduro's government.<br> A group pushing for Saab's immediate release issued a statement in Caracas expressing "total support" for the latest crackdown and distancing the "diplomat" from Pulido.<br> It was not immediately possible to locate an attorney for Pulido.<br> But Joe Schuster, an attorney for  evdEn EVe naKLiYaT Saab, said the Venezuelan investigation into Pulido had "absolutely nothing" to do with his client.<br> "It is also our understanding that the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela continues to fully support Special Envoy Saab," the Miami-based attorney said, referring to Saab's purported diplomatic status as an intermediary in trade deals between Iran and Venezuela.<br> Corruption has long plagued Venezuela.<br><br>The OPEC nation was the fourth-most corrupt in the world in the latest rankings by Transparency International.<br> Opportunities for graft have proliferated as a result of U.S. sanctions, which has scared away more established oil companies and opened the door for murky middlemen who purchase the crude at a steep discount and  [http://xn--4kqz9dx34awsd.binaryoptions.fun/index.php?qa=16636&qa_1=turn-other-heads-through-wearing-track-and-field-hoodies Evden EVe nAkliyAt] transport their valuable cargo on so-called ghost tankers that hide their locations from satellite tracking systems.<br> ___ Associated Press writer Jorge Rueda in Caracas,  [https://evigetir.com/evdeneve/hakkimizda.html evDeN eve nAkLiyAt] Venezuela, contributed to this report.<br> ___<br> Joshua Goodman on Twitter: @APJoshGoodman<br>