Maduro regime captures former Chavista oil minister Tareck El Aissami who disappeared after corruption charges

The Venezuelan Prosecutor’s Office announced this Tuesday the arrest and capture of former Chavista Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami, on corruption charges after he disappeared for more than a year.

Attorney General Tarek William Saab revealed photos depicting the ex-minister being led away in handcuffs and escorted by Venezuelan police.

Simón Alejandro Zerpa, former Minister of Economy and Finance and former president of the National Development Fund (Fonden), and Samark López, a businessman with close ties to the Maduro regime, were also detained.

Tras el anuncio del Fiscal General Tarek William Saab sobre la detención del expresidente de PDVSA, Tareck El Aissami, queda demostrado una vez más que la justicia venezolana será implacable con quiénes atenten contra la estabilidad de nuestra Patria. #CaigaQuienCaiga pic.twitter.com/zLxOtFPdN2

— Roy Lugo (@Zroy34) April 9, 2024

The arrests came after "recent admissions by at least five witnesses" interviewed by officials of the Public Ministry, according to the attorney general.

Tarek William Saab: Los detenidos son Tareck El Aissami, exministro del petróleo y expresidente de Pdvsa; Simón Alejandro Zerpa, exministro de Economía y Finanzas y expresidente del FONDEN vinculados de manera directa a ambos ciudadanos

— Ministerio Público venezolano (@MinpublicoVEN) April 9, 2024

Saab announced the arrests in a news conference on Tuesday but did not say when the capture and apprehension took place.

“This subject is already in the hands of justice to be charged with very serious crimes,” Saab said in a statement to the press, adding that he would be turned over to “the Public Ministry in the next few hours.”

The capture of El Aissami was carried out as part of an operation aimed at dismantling a corruption scheme in Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), the country's main state company, which was purportedly deprived of 21 billion dollars.

All those close to El Aissami were imprisoned last year, including Álvaro Pulido, a Colombian and collaborator of Álex Saab,  who was released in December by the United States as part of a prisoner exchange, and is now head of investments for the Venezuelan Maduro regime.

Tareck El Aissami resigned from his position in March 2023 due to the open investigations into alleged acts of corruption at PDVSA.

"By virtue of the investigations that have been initiated into serious acts of corruption in PDVSA, I have made the decision to present my resignation as Minister of Petroleum, with the purpose of supporting, accompanying and fully backing this process," he said at the time.

El Aissami's resignation occurred days after the Prosecutor's Office announced that judicial proceedings would be opened to arrest and investigate officials involved in corruption.