EXCLUSIVE - The FBI says two men have been indicted in connection with an alleged money-laundering scheme tied to Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro's children.
The indictments come after a years-long investigation that dates back to 2019 when the FBI's Miami Field Office launched the probe based on indications that Arick Komarczyk opened U.S. bank accounts for Maduro's children and their U.S.-based associates. Suspicious Activity Reports allegedly showed that Komarczyk received wire transfers from individuals and businesses in Venezuela, according to the FBI.
An undercover operation in 2022 revealed that Komarczyk and his associate, Irazmar Carbajal, agreed to move $100,000 of what the FBI believed to be sanctioned money belonging to members of Venezuela's government. The FBI said the men moved about $25,000 into the U.S.
The bureau noted that when confronted about the situation, Kormarczyk was not alarmed, rather he called it "sexy business."
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FBI Director Kash Patel said money-laundering schemes linked to Maduro were "criminal lifelines" for his regime.
"Nicolás Maduro is not just another corrupt strongman, he is an indicted narcoterrorist dictator with a $50 million bounty on his head from the United States Department of Justice," Patel said in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital. "His regime's laundering schemes are nothing more than criminal lifelines for a failing dictatorship, and under my leadership, this FBI will continue to choke off every dollar, every account, and every enabler. America will never be a safe haven for Maduro's blood money."
On Sept. 25, both Kormarczyk and Carbajal were indicted in Florida. Kormarczyk was indicted on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit unlicensed money transmitting, while Carbajal was indicted for conspiracy to commit unlicensed money transmitting.
Carbajal traveled from his home country of Uruguay to the Dominican Republic, but he was deported on Oct. 2. The deportation flight made a layover in the U.S., where Carbajal was arrested, the FBI said. Meanwhile, Komarczyk is believed to be living in Venezuela, according to the bureau.
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"The Maduro regime's alleged efforts to attempt evasion and conduct money laundering in the United States through third-party individuals will not go unchecked," FBI Miami Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles said in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital.
"Komarczyk and Carbajal's indictments should demonstrate the FBI's commitment to investigating alleged international money laundering involving [Office of Foreign Assets Control] sanctioned governments and individuals," Skiles added. "The United States and our financial institutions will never be a safe haven for international corruption and money laundering, particularly for those countries which pose significant risks to our national interests."
The U.S. does not recognize Maduro as a legitimate leader and the Department of Justice has an active reward for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction.
Patel's remarks echoed the Trump administration's condemnation of the Maduro regime.
In July, on the one-year anniversary of an election in which Maduro declared himself the winner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement expressing solidarity with the people of Venezuela. He vowed the United States would continue working with its partners "to hold accountable the corrupt, criminal and illegitimate Maduro regime."
