A Turkish man was arrested in the United States accused of conspiracy for violating sanctions on Venezuela

• According to the US Department of Justice, Taskin Torlak organized a plan to smuggle oil from Venezuela, for the benefit of the state-owned PDVSA, using tactics to hide the origin of the crude oil.

A Turkish citizen was arrested in Miami (United States) and accused of conspiring to violate US sanctions on Venezuela through a plan with which he extracted oil from the South American country, for the benefit of the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, reported this Monday, November 4, the US Department of Justice (DOJ).

Taskin Torlak, 37, conspired to evade U.S. sanctions on PDVSA by “smuggling oil from the Venezuelan black market,” said DOJ Deputy Attorney General Matthew G. Olseon.

Torlak used “deception and tricks” to hide the fact that this oil originated in Venezuela and thus sell it “illegally.”

PDVSA was sanctioned by the United States “to prevent the current regime from further depleting the nation’s resources while it remains illegally in power,” said Matthew Graves, federal prosecutor for the District of Columbia.

Photo: Courtesy

Graves warned that they will continue to pursue “violations of these sanctions until the Venezuelan government takes the necessary measures to have them lifted.”

Torlak was arrested on Saturday, November 2, in Miami while attempting to leave the United States to return to Turkey and was charged with one count of “conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).”

According to the indictment, Torlak “conspired with others to cause U.S. financial institutions to process transactions related to the transportation of Venezuelan oil” for the benefit of PDVSA, to which the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) United States designated as a Specially Designated National (SDN) in January 2019.

The details

Beginning in November 2020, Torlak and others devised and implemented “a complex plan to violate and evade sanctions” related to US oil products from Venezuela and Iran.

The plan was to conceal the identities of the tankers carrying the oil by changing the name and flag of the vessels, covering the names with paint or blankets, and turning off electronic devices that track the location of the vessels for the safety of the ships and their crews.

Torlak and his co-conspirators allegedly received tens of millions of dollars in payment from PDVSA for transporting Venezuelan oil, and “concealed” the beneficial owners of related transactions from U.S. financial institutions, which then unintentionally processed the payments.

The indictment further alleges that Torlak and his associates explicitly discussed the need to conceal their conduct from the U.S. government and its agencies, including OFAC, as well as commercial maritime entities.

With information from EFE

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Matthew R Graves

⁤ **Interview with Matthew Graves, ⁣Federal Prosecutor for the District of Columbia**

**Interviewer:** Thank​ you for ​joining ‍us today, ​Mr. Graves. Can you‌ start by explaining what⁣ led to the arrest of Taskin ‌Torlak and the specific ​accusations against him?

**Matthew Graves:** Thank you for having me. Taskin Torlak was arrested on November 2 in Miami as he was attempting to leave the U.S. for ‌Turkey. ‍The charges against him include conspiracy to⁤ violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, essentially for​ orchestrating a scheme to smuggle oil from the Venezuelan black market for the benefit of‍ PDVSA, Venezuela’s state-owned ‍oil company that has been under U.S. sanctions since 2019.

**Interviewer:** What methods did Torlak allegedly use to evade these sanctions?

**Matthew​ Graves:** According⁣ to the indictment, Torlak ⁣utilized​ several deceptive tactics to mask the origins of the crude oil he was handling. His⁤ plan involved manipulating transactions‌ through U.S.⁣ financial institutions, which is illegal​ given the sanctions in‍ place against PDVSA. ⁢He was fundamentally ​trying to obscure the chain of ⁢custody and the fact that this oil ​was coming from Venezuela,⁤ which is crucial to the sanctions regime.

**Interviewer:**‌ What is the⁣ broader ​implication of this case in terms of U.S. policy towards Venezuela?

**Matthew Graves:** The U.S. has ⁤imposed these sanctions to prevent the Venezuelan regime ⁣from further depleting the nation’s resources​ while it remains in power. This case ⁢exemplifies our ongoing commitment to enforce these sanctions ​strictly. We are sending a​ message that we will pursue anyone attempting to‌ violate these ⁣laws until the Venezuelan government takes the⁢ steps necessary to address the situation.

**Interviewer:** How does the Justice Department​ plan to⁢ proceed with the case against Torlak?

**Matthew Graves:** We ⁣intend to move forward with the​ prosecution ‌in accordance ⁣with standard legal procedures. If convicted, he could ‌face significant penalties. Our office is working diligently to gather all necessary evidence ⁤and ​ensure‍ a fair trial.

**Interviewer:** Thank you for your⁣ insights, Mr. Graves. ‍We appreciate you sharing this important information with us.

**Matthew Graves:** ⁤Thank‍ you for ⁢having me; it’s critical that the ⁤public is ‌informed about ‌these issues, and we’ll continue to ⁣uphold the​ law⁢ with‌ respect to U.S. sanctions.