The U.S. Department of Homeland Security seized in the State of Florida a total of 81 luxury vehicles, valued at more than $3.2 million, that were to be smuggled to Venezuela for officials of Nicolas Maduro’s dictatorship.
The investigation revealed that the vehicles were acquired by Maduro’s regime in the United States using fraudulent methods to avoid the personal sanctions imposed on the dictatorship’s leaders.
Cars in the port of Fort Lauderdale were intercepted by authorities during an operation against international vehicle smuggling.
Among the vehicles seized were everything from low-end cars like a Toyota Corolla valued at $20,000 to high-end vehicles like a Mercedes Bi-turbo SUV valued at $150,000.
According to the preliminary investigation, Raul Gorrin, an international criminal protected by Maduro’s regime, is allegedly involved in this operation. Gorrin uses shell companies in South Florida to buy the vehicles and send them to Venezuela for use by high-ranking officials of the dictatorship and their families.