Former Venezuelan Oil Minister Arrested After Resignation Amid U.S. Intelligence Link Allegations

 

Pedro Tellechea, Venezuela's former petroleum minister and once a high-ranking executive in the state oil company PDVSA, has been arrested shortly after his sudden resignation. His detention was confirmed on Monday, just days after he stepped down, citing health reasons.

According to Attorney General Tarek William Saab, Tellechea and his associates are accused of illegally delivering an automated control system to a company allegedly linked to U.S. intelligence services through PDVSA. Saab described the act as a violation of Venezuela’s national sovereignty, accusing Tellechea of handing over critical operational control of the oil company to foreign interests. Several of Tellechea's close collaborators have also been arrested, though their names were not disclosed by the authorities.

Tellechea, a former army colonel, served briefly as oil minister before being reassigned to another cabinet role as part of President Nicolás Maduro's reshuffling in August 2023. He had been appointed to lead PDVSA in early 2023, but his tenure was marred by scandals in the oil sector, leading to numerous criminal investigations of high-ranking officials.

This arrest adds to the growing list of scandals involving Venezuela’s embattled oil industry. Just last year, then-petroleum minister Tareck El Aissami resigned and was later arrested following a corruption investigation into PDVSA, which implicated multiple high-ranking officials. Venezuela has witnessed the arrest of over 200 officials and oil executives since 2017, with more than 20 corruption schemes under investigation.

Venezuela, once the world's leading oil producer with over three million barrels per day, now produces less than one million barrels amid ongoing political turmoil, sanctions, and chronic mismanagement. The country continues to grapple with the aftermath of these corruption scandals, while international oil companies like Chevron and Repsol maintain limited operations under U.S. government licenses.

The future of Venezuela's oil sector remains uncertain as these high-profile arrests and investigations continue to unfold.