(Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department yesterday unsealed an indictment charging ten people of conspiracy to evade sanctions on Venezuela by procuring U.S. aircraft parts, including Honeywell engines for state oil company PDVSA’s aircraft fleet.
Venezuela has been under U.S. sanctions since 2017. The toughest measures, on oil exports and PDVSA, are set to resume in June after President Nicolas Maduro’s administration failed to comply with a roadmap towards a competitive election this year.
“To carry out this scheme, the defendants concealed from U.S. companies that the goods were destined for Venezuela and PDVSA by exporting them to third parties in other countries, including Novax Group SA, a Costa Rican company, and Aerofalcon SL, a Spanish company,” the Justice Department said in a release.
The U.S. Department of Commerce in late 2023 had added Novax and Aerofalcon to the Bureau of Industry & Security’s list of companies engaging in activities contrary to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.
One of the ten people involved was arrested in Miami last week, according to the Justice Department. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
