Venezuela is seeking to arrest two exiled opposition party leaders as part of an investigation into allegedly corrupt tanker charter deals.
Attorney general Tarek William Saab went on national television to announce the move as part of the probe into the scandal known as PDVSA-Crypto, a reference to national oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA.
Saab said he has requested arrest and extradition warrants for Voluntad Popular leader Leopoldo Lopez and Primero Justicia leader Julio Borges, CE Noticias Financieras reported.
The prosecutor broadcast a video purporting to show a confession from businessman Samark Lopez, an associate of detained former oil minister Tareck El Aissami.
Both were arrested as part of corruption investigations last month.
Samark Lopez was claimed to have revealed details of the participation of Lopez and Borges in the “assignment” of oil cargoes to at least eight VLCCs in exchange for profits topping $1bn.
Saab was quoted as saying: “The minimum shipments were of 2m barrels per ship with an approximate value between $120m and $140m each, depending on the price they had in the market.”
“And there was a second modality, where these contractors were required to send fuel or diluents to be mixed and produce oil in Venezuela instead of paying the price of the crude,” Saab added.
“It is a plot of brutal billionaire corruption.”
Venezuela has already arrested 67 people in the case, including former finance minister Simon Zerpa.
Leopoldo Lopez is currently in Spain.
An extradition request remains outstanding against Borges from 2018, related to his alleged participation in an assassination attempt against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Borges was a resident of Colombia at the time of the request.
Borges said on X: “Tarek William Saab, you will leave power with the unity and the vote of the people. You are corrupt and liars.”
“We Venezuelans will continue fighting so that you do not continue destroying Venezuela,” he added.
