MIAMI – The Justice Department has unveiled a major crackdown on a sanctions evasion ring, charging ten individuals for conspiring to export millions of dollars’ worth of aircraft parts from the United States to Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), in direct violation of U.S. sanctions.
George Clemente Semerene Quintero, 60, was the first defendant to face justice, nabbed upon his arrival at Miami International Airport on April 19, 2024. Semerene, PDVSA’s logistics czar, is just one of a ring that allegedly shipped Honeywell Turbofan Engines and other aviation components to PDVSA through Costa Rica and Spain.
The defendants are accused of a years-long conspiracy, starting in January 2019, where they concealed the true destination of the goods by routing them through third-party companies like Novax Group SA (Novax) in Costa Rica and Aerofalcon SL (Aerofalco) in Spain. The Department of Commerce has since added both Novax and Aerofalcon to its Entity List in November 2023.
Among those charged are Gilberto Ramon Araujo Prieto, a PDVSA air transport manager, Guillermo Ysrael Marval Rivero, Fernando Jose Blequett Landaeta, and Semerene. On the Novax side are Luis Alberto Duque Carvajal, owner; Melvin Aleman Espinoza, director of operations; Mikhail Largin, director of special projects; and Pedro Elias Sucre Salazar. Representing Aerofalcon are Juan Carlos Gonzalez Perez, owner, and Juan David Guerra Viera, a director.
Each defendant faces serious charges with the potential for long sentences. They are accused of conspiring to violate the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA), which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Some, like Duque, Aleman, Sucre, Gonzalez, and Guerra Viera, also face charges including false export information and smuggling, with respective penalties up to five and ten years.
The case is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen, and Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod. The investigation was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Stratton and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal, with invaluable assistance from CES Deputy Chief Matthew McKenzie.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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