A Turkish businessman was apprehended on Monday in Miami and faces charges related to aiding Venezuela’s state oil enterprise in dodging U.S. sanctions. Taskin Torlak, aged 37, was taken into custody as he attempted to travel back to Turkey, according to a statement from the Justice Department.

Court documents indicate that Torlak managed several businesses that facilitated the shipping of oil that was subject to sanctions. Beginning in 2020, he reportedly collaborated with unnamed associates and companies from various locations, including Ukraine, China, and Indonesia, for the transport of Venezuelan crude oil. During this period, most Western purchasers avoided dealings with the South American nation due to concerns regarding U.S. sanctions aimed at ousting President Nicolas Maduro from power.

Torlak and his collaborators allegedly concealed the identities of the recipients of these transactions in order to enable U.S. financial institutions to unwittingly process payments related to the unlawful oil shipments. “We could use one of the clean names to avoid money getting stuck somewhere,” he allegedly mentioned in messages exchanged with a co-conspirator.

To avoid detection by authorities, the chartered oil tankers routinely disabled their automated tracking systems—a necessary safety feature—while transporting illicit Venezuelan crude. Additionally, the vessels frequently altered their registered flags to so-called “flags of convenience,” allowing them to operate under different jurisdictions.

As of now, there has been no information available regarding legal representation for Torlak.

The United States has progressively increased sanctions on Venezuela following the controversial re-election of Maduro in 2018, during which key political opponents were barred from participating in the electoral process. Since that time, Maduro has reinforced his hold on power and claimed victory in a third six-year term this year, even in light of evidence from challengers alleging electoral fraud. The U.S. responded with further sanctions against officials accused of interfering with the electoral process and committing human rights violations.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen emphasized that the Justice Department is committed to holding accountable individuals engaged in illegal activities aimed at undermining sanctions imposed on the Maduro administration.