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In certain quarters, Italy’s Guardia di Finanza is believed to be one of the world’s foremost law enforcement bodies when it comes to prosecute financial crimes. It might have to do with being Italy’s oldest police force. In any case, Italy has become an important destination for a post modern sort of Mafia: Chavismo, one of the most powerful transnational criminal groups ever to emerge. PDVSA, the State owned energy giant from Venezuela, was managed by Rafael Ramirez for approximately 12 years (2002 – 2014).

Switzerland's financial watchdog (FINMA) announced today conclusion of proceedings against Banca Credinvest: read bolichico money laundering will, erm, have to be moved elsewhere.

This has been a good week.

UPDATED 12 Oct.

UPDATED 29/09/2020 18:48 GMT re Twitter limiting my @infodi0 account - Venezuelan boligarchs are brazen. But none like Alejandro Betancourt, the main thug behind Derwick Associates.

Diego Salazar is this unpresentable thug whose only redeeming and unearned feature is to have a first cousin called Rafael Ramirez. Ramirez was President of PDVSA and Venezuela's Minister of Energy for over a decade, during which he ensured that his closest family and collaborators were given plenty of opportunities for corruption. As PDVSA CEO, he forced Diego Salazar as main intermediator between Chinese companies receiving billions worth of procurement contracts from Venezuela and PDVSA.

Thus far, with respect to Venezuela, that #FinCENFiles thing has been a huge let down. Alejandro Ceballos and Samark Lopez got early mentions. Then it was the turn of Alejandro Betancourt. And today is the Obertos case, where the Miami Herald, and whoever they're talking to at DoJ, just burned the guy that was helping them unravel the gargantuan corruption that took place at PDVSA under Rafael Ramirez' leadership. As usual, the Miami Herald piece just confirms information already published here, months after the fact:

Readers of this site might remember the series of exposés published in the Spanish version of this site, about Rafael Ramirez's direct involvement in approving a $4.5 billion money laundering scheme set by Luis & Ignacio Oberto Anselmi.