The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) concluded after an investigation that Venezuelan national Diosdado Cabello Rondon (Cabello) has used his influence to personally profit from extortion, money laundering and embezzlement, and has used countries such as Costa Rica for his money laundering activities.

Along with Cabello, his wife Marleny Josefina Contreras, his brother Jose David Cabello Rondon, and his frontman Rafael Alfredo Sarria Diaz, are part of the investigation of a corruption network.

“Often referred to as the second most powerful man in Venezuela—after Maduro—Cabello has maintained significant leadership positions in the Venezuelan government since Chavez elevated him to the position of Minister of Interior and Justice. Cabello has abused these influential positions in furtherance of his illicit and corrupt activities to control and direct government agencies and military officials in Venezuela such as the Cuerpo de Investigaciones Cientificias, Penales y Criminalisticas, or the Body of Scientific, Penal, and Criminal Investigations (CICPC), and the Servicio Bolivariano de Inteligencia Nacional, or the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN), the Venezuelan domestic intelligence service. Cabello has entrenched a network of supporters by deciding who gets promoted within agencies such as the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Public Works. Cabello in turn used that sphere of influence to personally profit from extortion, money laundering, and embezzlement”, states the US Department of the Treasury in a press release.

According to the information released, Cabello along with other Venezuelan officials used state-owned enterprises, among them Aluminios Nacionales S.A. (Alunasa) to launder money to Costa Rica. Alunasa is headquartered in Esparza, Puntarenas under free zone regimen.

“Under the direction of Rangel Gomez, in his capacity as the Governor of the state of Bolivar, Venalum used boats to move minerals and launder money through Panama to the Costa Rica branch of Alunasa. Cabello directed the Venezuelan military to place several Alunasa employees in Costa Rica to oversee the operation”.

Since the beginning of the year Alunasa had said to be facing a significant drop in their production due to the shortage of raw material, they also accumulated debts to their employees, as well as with Social Security among other institutions. The company in Costa Rica has confirmed in the past that they have had some of their accounts blocked.

The investigation also connects Cabello with narcotics and trafficking activities.

“The Venezuelan people suffer under corrupt politicians who tighten their grip on power while lining their own pockets. We are imposing costs on figures like Diosdado Cabello who exploit their official positions to engage in narcotics trafficking, money laundering, embezzlement of state funds, and other corrupt activities,” said Secretary of the Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin. “This Administration is committed to holding those accountable who violate the trust of the Venezuelan people, and we will continue to block attempts to abuse the U.S. financial system.”