The US is charging ten people over aircraft parts supplied to Venezuela

The US Justice Department on Monday released an indictment accusing 10 people of conspiring to evade sanctions on Venezuela by purchasing US aircraft parts, including Honeywell engines for state oil company PDVSA’s aircraft fleet.

Venezuela has been under US sanctions since 2017. The toughest measures, on oil exports and PDVSA, will resume in June after President Nicolas Maduro’s government failed to stick to a roadmap to competitive elections this year. “To carry out this scheme, the defendants concealed from U.S. companies that the goods were destined for Venezuela and PDVSA by exporting them to third parties in other countries, including Novax Group SA, a Costa Rican company, and Aerofalcon SL, a Spanish company. ‘, the Ministry of Justice said in a press release.

The US Department of Commerce had added Novax and Aerofalcon in late 2023 to the Bureau of Industry & Security’s list of companies engaged in activities contrary to US national security and foreign policy interests. One of the ten people involved was arrested last week in Miami, according to the Justice Department. If convicted, they face a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.

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