Exclusive: FBI probes Mexican, European firms over Venezuela oil trading - sources

[Judi Lynn]

MAY 13, 2020 / 12:37 PM / UPDATED 9 HOURS AGO

Marianna Parraga, Matt Spetalnick, Ana Isabel Martinez
10 MIN READ

By Marianna Parraga, Matt Spetalnick and Ana Isabel Martinez

MEXICO CITY/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI is probing several Mexican and European companies allegedly involved in trading Venezuelan oil as it gathers information for a U.S. Treasury Department inquiry into possible sanctions busting, according to four people familiar with the matter.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and special envoy for Venezuela Elliott Abrams told reporters late last month the State and Treasury departments were investigating whether several firms were violating sanctions imposed on Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA since January 2019.

The sanctions are part of a campaign by Washington to strangle the revenues of President Nicolas Maduro, which has failed to break his grip on power. U.S. officials say privately that is a source of frustration for President Donald Trump, whose administration has tightened the implementation of sanctions in recent months.

Three of the people who provided information to the FBI - who asked for anonymity to discuss the matter - said the agency was investigating three Mexican companies: Libre Abordo, Schlager Business Group, and Grupo Jomadi Logistics & Cargo.

Reuters could find no record of Venezuelan oil purchases by those companies prior to sanctions.

More:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-venezuela-usa-oil-probe-exclusive/fbi-probes-mexican-european-firms-over-venezuela-oil-trading-sources-idUKKBN22P2T5?rpc=401&

[WyLoochka]

1. They want to privatize the oil

The sanctions on Venezuela are suspect.

They likely arose out of corrupt purposes - to wrest the oil from ownership by the country of Venezuela so it can be privatized and profitized by global oilogarchs.

Same reason they had Hugo Chavez abducted back in 2002 - oil. The venezuelan people rose up and demanded he be restored to his democratically elected position as President He was.

Maduro has been elected twice since Chavez died due to cancer. The oilogarchs, and Trump on behalf of them, are still determined to get control of PDVSA, even though there is a global glut of oil. Bolton had the sanctions put in place. That alone should raise alarms and questions regarding their validity.

Mexican and European firms still trading with PDVSA, despite the recently imposed sanctions, may be perceiving Trump as weak. They are likely betting it is a very remote posiinility that Trump could convince Congress, and the American people, of a need to invade Venezuela. So they just ignore the sanctions and contunue trading.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Invasion can still happen if Trump can make up a convincing lie! He'd LOVE that. n/t