The U.S. Department of State has announced a reward of up
to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of
Venezuelan national Samark Jose Lopez Bello for participating in transnational
organized crime.
This offer is made in connection with the announcements of
reward offers up to $10 million for former Venezuelan Vice President Tareck
Zaidan El-Aissami Maddah on March 26, 2020 and up to $5 million for National
Superintendent of Cryptocurrencies in the Maduro regime Joselit de la Trinidad
Ramirez Camacho on June 1, 2020.
Lopez
Bello worked with others in an effort to violate and evade OFAC sanctions
imposed pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act and related
regulations. He was charged by
indictment, along with El-Aissami and Ramirez, in the Southern District of New
York with several transnational crimes.
The reward offer is made under the Department of State’s
Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP). Together with the Narcotics Rewards Program,
more than 75 major narcotics traffickers have been brought to justice since
these programs began in 1986. The
Department of State has paid more than $130 million in rewards for information
leading to those apprehensions.
The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement
Affairs manages these rewards programs in close coordination with the Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and other U.S. agencies. These actions demonstrate the State
Department’s commitment to support law enforcement efforts and a whole of
government approach to combatting transnational organized crime.
For more information on the individuals listed
above and the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program,
VISIT LINK HERE
source: state dept
