The U.S. Department of Justice said on the 15th that a close associate of
Venezuelan President Maduro and former Venezuelan industry minister, Sabo,
pleaded guilty in federal court in Miami to conspiracy to launder money.
According to court filings, Sabo admitted participating in an almost decade-long
bribery and fraud scheme tied to the government’s Local Committees for Supply
and Production (CLAP) food and medicine welfare program. He acknowledged
organizing bribe payments and other illicit transfers to public officials to
steer Venezuelan government food and medicine import contracts to companies
secretly controlled by conspirators. The DOJ said conspirators used sham
companies, fake invoices and shipping records to siphon hundreds of millions of
dollars and moved and laundered proceeds through offshore shell firms, with some
funds routed through the U.S. financial system.
