What to Know
- U.S. Attorney Benjamin Greenberg said the scheme began in 2014 with bribery and fraud at the state-run PDVSA enterprise and grew over time.
- A criminal complaint contends the scheme involved members of the Venezuelan elite, money managers, brokerage firms, banks and more.
Federal prosecutors say eight people have been charged with playing roles in a $1.2 billion money-laundering scheme involving Venezuela's state-run oil and natural gas company.
Miami U.S. Attorney Benjamin Greenberg said in a news release Wednesday the scheme began in 2014 with bribery and fraud at the state-run PDVSA enterprise and grew over time.
A criminal complaint contends the scheme involved members of the Venezuelan elite, money managers, brokerage firms, banks and real estate investment firms.
Two suspects have been arrested. Authorities say 44-year-old Mathias Krull, a German national and Panama resident, was arrested at Miami International Airport.
Investigators say 45-year-old Gustavo Adolfo Hernandez Frieri, a Colombian national and naturalized U.S. citizen, was arrested in Sicily. The other suspects are at large.
Court records list no attorneys for the men.
