Former Venezuelan Oil Minister Arrested in Major Corruption Crackdown

Tareck El Aissami, Venezuela's ex-oil minister and one of Maduro's closest allies, faces charges in a scheme that allegedly stole millions from the state oil company.

Tareck El Aissami, once a key figure in President Nicolás Maduro's administration, has been arrested for his alleged involvement in a corruption scheme that siphoned off hundreds of millions of dollars from Venezuela's state oil company.
The arrest is part of a broader governmental purge targeting over 50 political and business figures in Venezuela, signaling a significant crackdown on corruption within the country.
El Aissami and his co-conspirators are accused of illegally managing oil shipments and bypassing the central bank, facilitating an 'economic conspiracy' against Venezuela.
This development marks a dramatic fall for El Aissami, who had not been seen publicly since March 2023 and was once considered Maduro's protege.
The U.S. has previously designated El Aissami a narcotics kingpin, highlighting his controversial past and the international attention on Venezuela's political and economic turmoil.