Venezuela Arrests Metals Executives as Corruption Probe Widens

Venezuelan detained two top executives of the state-owned metals company, further widening a corruption probe that has shaken up President Nicolas Maduro’s administration.

(Bloomberg) — Venezuelan detained two top executives of the state-owned metals company, further widening a corruption probe that has shaken up President Nicolas Maduro’s administration.

Anti-graft police on Thursday detained Pedro Maldonado, president of Corporacion Venezolana de Guayana (CVG) and Nestor Astudillo, chief of the affiliated steel company Sidor, according to a person familiar with the situation.

CVG and the information ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Representatives of Maldonado and Astudillo could not be immediately reached for comment.

Read More: Power Struggle and Missing Billions Roil Venezuelan Ruling Elite

At least 23 people have been arrested over the past few weeks, including the head of the cryptocurrency oversight agency and a lawmaker, as part of a probe into billions of dollars in missing oil revenue. Oil minister Tareck El Aissami resigned after the investigation was announced. 

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