Shadowy brokers walk off with billions in Venezuelan oil

By REGINA GARCIA CANO and JOSHUA GOODMAN
Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Dozens of obscure brokers are at the center of a new crackdown in Venezuela on corruption in the state-run oil industry that has government insiders scurrying for cover. Meanwhile, regular Venezuelans are asking how more than $20 billion in proceeds from oil shipments seemingly vanished. The purge began this month when Veneuelan authorities arrested 21 people, including businesspeople, senior officials and a lawmaker, as part of an investigation into missing payments for oil shipments. In a sign of the government’s commitment to its anti-corruption crusade, state media this week were filled with images of the defendants dressed in orange jumpsuits walking into their initial judicial hearing.