From New York Post · · 1m 30s
Maduro-linked fugitive arrested in U.S. corruption case
U.S. arrests Venezuelan fugitive Alvaro Pulido Vargas over alleged $1.6 billion scheme to exploit food and medicine programs.
In brief
U.S. arrests Venezuelan fugitive Alvaro Pulido Vargas over alleged $1.6 billion scheme to exploit food and medicine programs. Alvaro Pulido Vargas, a Maduro-linked fugitive, faces federal charges for allegedly laundering $1.6 billion through Venezuelan government contracts to supply food and medicine. Originally…
Fugitive arrested in U.S. custody
Alvaro Pulido Vargas, 62, was arrested during a Homeland Security Task Force operation and is scheduled to appear in federal court in South Florida on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
Charges in two corruption cases
Pulido Vargas faces two criminal cases alleging he helped funnel money from Venezuelan government bribery schemes through U.S. banks to hide illicit profits.
Alleged $1.6 billion scheme
Prosecutors say Pulido Vargas and his associates paid bribes to win contracts for the CLAP program, then inflated prices to cover payoffs and line their own pockets.
CLAP program exploitation
The scheme ran from approximately July 2015 through at least 2020, involving $1.6 billion in Venezuelan government contracts to supply food and medicine.
Bribes and inflated prices
Pulido Vargas and his associates allegedly paid bribes to win government contracts, then inflated prices to cover payoffs and line their own pockets.
Additional charges in 2019 case
Pulido Vargas faces five money laundering charges in the 2021 case and eight additional charges in the 2019 case, each carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
U.S. warning to others
Attorney General Todd Blanche warned others facing U.S. prosecution after arresting Pulido Vargas in a corruption case tied to Nicolás Maduro’s regime.
Here's the gist
Alvaro Pulido Vargas, a Maduro-linked fugitive, faces federal charges for allegedly laundering $1.6 billion through Venezuelan government contracts to supply food and medicine.
