They are suing former Venezuelan officials in Miami

Former government officials and businessmen who allegedly joined forces with the Venezuelan government to do lucrative business were accused Wednesday in Miami of being part of an organization that was laundering about $ 1.2 billion using funds from PDVSA

The money was laundered through the purchase of real estate and fake investments in Florida, according to the complaint filed by the US Department of Justice in the Miami Federal Courts.

Officials and businessmen, identified in the trial as "boliburgueses" (businessmen accused of having links with some senior government officials with whom they deal) are accused of take advantage of the difference between the official exchange rate and that of the Black Market to obtain hundreds of millions of dollars in profits.

According to the criminal complaint, the unlawful badociation allegedly began in December 2014 with a foreign exchange transaction aimed at diverting some $ 600 million from PDVSA obtained through bribes and fraud, and the charged for the laundering of part of the profits made in this operation.

In May 2015, the conspiracy would have doubled the amount of $ 1.2 billion diverted from PDVSA, which is Venezuela's main source of income and currency.

Among the Venezuelan defendants are Francisco Convit Guruceaga, José Vicente Amparan Croquer, known as "Chente"; Carmelo Urdaneta Here; and Abraham Eduardo Ortega.

For his alleged involvement in the organization, at least two other people were also prosecuted: the Portuguese Hugo Andre Ramalho Gois and the Uruguayan Marcelo Federico Gutierrez Acosta and Lara. They remain all fugitives.

Matthias Krull, a 44-year-old German resident in Panama, was arrested Tuesday night in Miami and on Wednesday made his first appearance before Federal Judge Alicia Otazo Reyes. Your next hearing will be July 30th.

Gustavo Adolfo Hernández Frieri, a 45-year-old Colombian American, was arrested Wednesday in Sicily, Italy, and faces extradition proceedings, the Justice Department said in a press release .

The lawsuit indicates that banks, real estate companies and brokerage firms from the United States and other countries also participated in the money laundering program.

Among the alleged members of the organization, there will be former officials of PDVSA, professionals dedicated to money laundering and "boliburgus", said the Ministry of Justice. [ad_2]
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