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Venezuelan Politician on US Immigration’s 10 Most Wanted List


FILE - Venezuela's Vice President Tareck El Aissami talks to the media during a news conference in Caracas, Venezuela, Nov. 17, 2017.
FILE - Venezuela's Vice President Tareck El Aissami talks to the media during a news conference in Caracas, Venezuela, Nov. 17, 2017.

U.S. immigration officials have added a senior Venezuelan government official to their list of the 10 most wanted fugitives.

Tareck El Aissami is Venezuela’s former vice president and is currently its industry minister.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement posted a picture of El Aissami on its Twitter account Wednesday, captioned, “Have you seen this most wanted fugitive? He’s wanted for international narcotics trafficking.”

The photo comes with a warning to civilians against trying to arrest him or anyone else on the most wanted list.

The U.S. accuses El Aissami of overseeing or partially owning “narcotics shipments of more than 1,000 kilograms from Venezuela on multiple occasions, including those with the final destinations of Mexico and the United States.”

He is also accused of avoiding various U.S. sanctions imposed on Venezuela because of the country’s dire political situation.

The United States and about 50 other countries back opposition leader Juan Guaido’s efforts to drive President Nicolas Maduro from power.

Guaido accuses Maduro of stealing last year’s election for another term and helping drive Venezuela to economic ruin through corruption and failed socialist policies.

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