U.S. Justice Department Charges 5 Venezuelan PDVSA Officials in Corruption-Based Money Laundering Scheme

 On February 12, 2018, the Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and other law enforcement officials announced the unsealing of an indictment against five former Venezuelan government officials for their alleged participation in an international money laundering scheme involving bribes made to corruptly secure energy contracts from Venezuela’s state-owned and state-controlled energy company, Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA).  Two of the defendants are also charged with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).