CARACAS, Venezuela — On Monday, Venezuela’s Attorney General revealed the arrest of a former oil minister, accusing him of collaborating with the U.S. government to undermine the nation’s critical oil industry.

Tarek William Saab made the announcement via Instagram, stating that Pedro Tellechea, who took office as the oil czar in January 2023, has been detained. His appointment came after the resignation of Tareck El Aissami, a high-ranking official closely allied with President Nicolás Maduro, who stepped down amid serious corruption accusations.

During Saab’s announcement, he noted that additional individuals associated with Tellechea also faced detention, although he refrained from disclosing their identities or specific charges against them. Tellechea’s role overseeing Venezuela’s vital oil sector ended in August when Maduro reassigned him to a new position as the minister of industry and national production. Just last week, Maduro appointed a new oil minister—an associate who was previously pardoned by U.S. President Joe Biden amid a prisoner swap agreement.

As the head of the state-controlled Petróleos de Venezuela, known as PDVSA, Tellechea was responsible for the organization that plays a fundamental role in the country’s economy. Saab accused him of transferring management of PDVSA’s automated command and control system to a U.S.-controlled company, claiming this action violated both legal protocols and national sovereignty. This command system is regarded as the “brain” of PDVSA, according to Saab’s description. However, he did not provide any evidence to back up these allegations.

Tellechea’s role in the oil ministry followed El Aissami’s departure, who had been instrumental in creating strategies to navigate international economic sanctions against Venezuela. El Aissami’s exit occurred against the backdrop of corruption investigations that ultimately led to his arrest.

On the same day as the announcement, Maduro appointed Alex Saab to the ministerial position. Saab returned to Venezuela a free man in December after spending time in custody since 2020, when he was arrested in Cape Verde due to U.S. warrant over money laundering accusations. U.S. authorities have identified Saab as a financier for Maduro’s operations.