Drug traffickers, money launderers and terrorists running Venezuela
By Kenneth Rijock, Financial Crime Consultant
27.02.06 | Today we profile some of the career criminals who run Venezuela today, and are covertly moving it towards the military application of nuclear power, as well as other equally suicidal goals of their president, including but not limited to, looting the country of its national wealth, and destroying its economy. Here’s today’s selection:
Carlos Rafael Lanz Rodriguez (ID. 3437254) - This former career terrorist, who once kidnapped and held an American businessman for several years, was named by Chavez to head ALCASA, Venezuela’s aluminum processing utility, believed by some experts to be a front for Uranium mining. Last year, he was seen meeting with Mustafa Setmariam Nasar onboard a Panamanian-registered freighter on the Caribbean coast. For those of you not following the global war on terrorism, Mr. Nasar is the Syrian Al-Qaeda leader who was the intellectual author of the Madrid train bombing, and is one of the most wanted fugitives in the world. This super-terrorist is regularly protected by the Direccion De Los Servicios De Inteligencia Y Prevencion, DISIP, when he travels in Venezuela. What was the subject of their conversation?
Guillermo Antonio Garcia Ponce (ID. 10804) - One of Venezuela’s most radical Marxists, (Liberacion Nacional in the 1960s) Comandante Garcia is Chavez’ liaison with the government of the Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea, or North Korea. His mission is to acquire prohibited nuclear technology, and he has taken at least 8 trips to North Korea for that express purpose. It makes you wonder why North Korean military officers have been seen at Fort Tiuna, and what exactly Venezuela has purchased from that rogue country.
Ramiro Francisco Helmeyer Quevedo (ID. 5217226) - Released by Chavez from a 30-year prison sentence for murder (Mario Patty), this psychopath has been wanted in the US for weapons violations and escape for twenty four years (Northern District of Georgia, Case Numbers 1982cr-00220 and 1982cr-00355). His status as a trafficker in narcotics to Canada doesn’t seem to bother the Chavez government, though; Chavez unilaterally threw out his Venezuelan murder conviction, case No. 182-M-142. He is a “financial advisor” to DISIP, looter of PDVSA funds. His government-sanctioned crimes remain unknown thus far, but his involvement is a certainty, as is his longtime involvement with Orlando Castro Llanes. Helmeyer’s close associate, Alex Del Nogal, was also released by Chavez from a 20-year prison term, and is also currently with DISIP. One wonders how DISIP leaders reconcile Del Nogal’s prison term in Switzerland, and subsequent escape from custody, with his law enforcement role.
Orlando Castro Llanes (ID. 12391789) - Cuban-born Venezuelan financier and money launderer, he played a key role in Venezuela’s 1993-1994 banking crisis. He was convicted in the US of defrauding depositors of more than $ 55 million at Banco Progreso Internacional de Puerto Rico. This individual has been allowed to reopen his insurance business and is now a close aide to Chavez. Is it his communist past or his ability to destroy financial institutions, or both, that attract Chavez, and is he the brains behind Chavez’ foreign bank purchases?
Ricardo Fernandez Barrueco (ID. 9095496) - No stranger to our attention, a man who went from living in a grain silo to being a PROAREPA multimillionaire in record time, thanks to the Chavez family. He represents one of the greatest threats to Venezuela’s economy, as he has the ability to drain all of Venezuela’s wealth, both domestic and foreign, using his network of offshore tax haven bank accounts. Will he be the bagman who pays HAMAS with Venezuela’s PDVSA profits in Teheran? We shall continue to investigate, so stay tuned.
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