Head of Venezuela’s Petro is now a most-wanted fugitive
- The US government has added a top Venezuelan official to its list of most-wanted fugitives.
- Joselit Ramírez, the head of Venezuela’s crypto Petro, is accused of breaking money laundering laws and evading US sanctions.
- The US government is offering up to $5 million as a reward for anyone who can help in the arrest of Ramírez.
The US government has added a top Venezuelan official to its list of most-wanted fugitives. A recent statement revealed that the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE), a unit of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York is looking for Joselit Ramírez, the head of Venezuela’s national cryptocurrency Petro.
Ramírez is accused of having social and political connections with several alleged drug lords, including former Venezuelan vice president, Tareck El Aissami. The latter is also on ICE's most wanted list for association with drug operations and money laundering. The agency claims Ramírez has broken money laundering laws while also evading US sanctions.
An excerpt from the statement reads:
[Ramírez] has been indicted in the Southern District of New York for violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the Kingpin Act, and other sanctions imposed by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC).
The US government is offering up to $5 million as a reward for anyone who can help in the arrest or conviction of Ramírez.
Author
Rajarshi Mitra
Independent Analyst
Rajarshi entered the blockchain space in 2016. He is a blockchain researcher who has worked for Blockgeeks and has done research work for several ICOs. He gets regularly invited to give talks on the blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies.
