The Venezuelan businessman Samark López sued the US Treasury Department on June 30, 2021 for classifying him as a “capo” of drug trafficking. His defense assures that it is “capricious” to say that, due to his links with Minister Tareck El Aissami, he is classified as a criminal
A federal judge granted the United States Department of the Treasury (USA) the power to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Venezuelan businessman Samark López, alleged front man for the Minister of Oil, Tareck El Aissami, who sought to lift the sanctions and accusations against him of committing crimes of alleged drug trafficking.
Associated Press journalist Joshua Goodman indicated in his social media on December 21 that businessman Samark López argues that the US Justice’s accusation of his role as an alleged drug lord for having ties to El Aissami is “capricious and arbitrary”, since in his opinion he has never been charged of drug trafficking
However, the court did not agree with their arguments.
Goodman reports that the attorney representing Lopez, Erich Ferrari, recently lost a similar case after filing a lawsuit on behalf of Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska.
NEW: Federal judge grants @USTreasury request to dismiss a complaint filed by Venezuelan tycoon Samark Lopez seeking to lift narcotics sanctions imposed in 2017. pic.twitter.com/jAtUWBXuS4
— Joshua Goodman (@APjoshgoodman) December 21, 2022
Lopez’s attorney, Washington-based Erich Ferrari, previously lost a similar sanctions lawsuit filed on behalf of Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska.
Both complaints were seen as legal longshots given the sweeping powers afforded the US government to seize assets of non-Americans.
— Joshua Goodman (@APjoshgoodman) December 21, 2022
The July 1, 2021 It was learned that the Venezuelan businessman Samark López sued the US Treasury Department on Thursday, June 30 of that year, claiming to be the victim of a false campaign against him that portrays him as a drug lord.
The text of the lawsuit states that his links to drug trafficking had devastated his wealth, reputation and economic livelihood.
*Read also: US offers $5 million reward for Venezuelan businessman Samark López
The portal state.gov remember that both Samark López Bello and Tareck El Aissami were classified as “drug traffickers” by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on February 13, 2017 and it is noted that the businessman is linked to money laundering.
They allege that since 2017, López Bello coordinated with people and citizens in United States territory to charter private flights used by El Aissami himself and other high-ranking officials of the regime to travel through the United States, Venezuela, and countries such as the Dominican Republic, Russia, and Turkey.
At the end of toAugust 2022the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (USA) annulled the sentence issued by federal judge Robert N. Scola in 2020 to seize the assets of the Venezuelan businessman Samark López Bello.
He was indicted in New York court for allegedly violating sanctions that froze his considerable wealth in the US, including yachts, planes, Miami luxury real estate and a $269 million Citibank account in credit.
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