Oscar Patiño Torres: The Criminal Mind Behind the Chambra Family’s Underhanded Deals
In January 2017, a wedding celebration in Caracas unveiled a connection that was evident to many, yet somehow went unnoticed until now. This event marked the marriage of Julio, a close associate of the owners of Traki, one of the largest department store chains in Venezuela. Despite years of crisis in the South American country, Traki has managed to remain operational and diversify its offerings.
The wedding consisted of two ceremonies: the civil and the religious. Both occasions featured two notable special guests, captured in photographs alongside other individuals linked to Traki.
The first photograph, taken during the civil ceremony, shows Julio surrounded by several guests, among whom stand out Samir Makiad El Fallah (first from left to right) and Oscar Antonio Patiño Torres (fourth from left to right). Julio differentiates himself with a pink tie and a pocket square. Also present are Traki’s partner Yauodat Chalich (second from left to right) and his father Mahmoud Chalich (first from right to left).
Samir Makiad El Fallah, Yauodat Chalich, Julio, Oscar Patiño Torres, an unidentified person, and Mahmoud Chalich
Samir Makiad El Fallah and Yauodat Chalich
The second photograph, taken days later at Quinta Esmeralda—the venue for the religious ceremony—shows Julio with his wife surrounded by family, while to the right are Oscar Antonio Patiño Torres and Samir Makiad El Fallah, a figure previously linked to a major currency fraud and alleged connections to money laundering and drug trafficking.
Oscar Patiño Torres and Samir Makiad El Fallah
Quinta Esmeralda is an exclusive venue for high-profile events, including beauty contests and elite Caracas celebrations.
To understand the significance of the above images, one must delve deeper into the profiles of Oscar Antonio Patiño Torres, Mahmoud Chalich, and Samir Makiad El Fallah, examining their backgrounds, businesses, and pasts. We will begin with Oscar Patiño.
Who is Oscar Patiño Torres?
Oscar Antonio Patiño Torres has been associated with Lebanese entrepreneur Antonio Chambra for over three decades, currently the president and majority shareholder of Traki. Patiño hails from Bolívar state, where he met and befriended Antonio Chambra during his youth, back when he sported a fuller head of hair. Since then, he has participated in the various businesses that Chambra and his family have developed throughout Venezuela.
Currently, Oscar Patiño Torres is both a business partner and godfather to Antonio Chambra’s daughter, Nadia Chambra. He has also served as Traki’s Vice President of Operations for several years. It could be said that Oscar Patiño is the one who whispers in Antonio Chambra’s ear, being someone he has trusted for decades and who knows the secrets of the Chambra family, accompanying them on trips, business meetings, and various social activities.
From right to left: Antonio Chambra, Michael Chambra, Mahmoud Chalich, and Oscar Patiño Torres
Patiño Torres has two passions: breeding horses and breeding fighting cocks. One of his brothers is Mario Patiño Torres, an internist and dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV).
Mario Patiño (Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at UCV) and his brother Oscar Patiño
Oscar Patiño Torres and his wife, of Arab descent, reside in China, where they have collaborated with Traki’s operations in the Asian country. Traki has an office in the port city of Canton, from where the coordination of product exports to Traki stores in Venezuela is managed, a task that has sometimes been undertaken by Patiño himself.
Oscar Patiño Torres at Traki’s facilities in Canton, China
In recent years, Oscar Patiño Torres has devoted himself to horse breeding in Bolívar state and Hoyo de la Puerta, Miranda state, through Trampa Jaula Ranch, a farm managed by his son Ramón Antonio Patiño. Horses from Trampa Jaula Ranch often compete in steer wrestling tournaments in various locations across Venezuela. The ranch prides itself on owning Turbo Rey, one of its finest specimens.
Oscar Patiño with his horse Turbo Rey
Trampa Jaula Ranch also offers mare breeding and colt sales services.
Oscar Patiño Torres has another major passion: cockfighting, for which he operates a breeding farm called Gallos Patiño. He inherited his love for gamecocks from his father. Thus, Patiño attends various cockfighting events in both Venezuela and Colombia, where he has many Colombian and Panamanian friends.
Oscar Patiño Torres (left) at the Gallístico Medellín Club – Colombia, November 2023
On November 29, 2023, Patiño participated in the Ricky Ledee cockfighting tournament held at the Gallístico Medellín Club in the namesake city, where one of his roosters became champion.
Oscar Patiño Torres (third from left to right) during a trip to Medellín, Colombia, for a cockfighting competition
Medellín is a familiar city for Oscar Patiño Torres, as he has traveled several times in recent years to this and other Colombian cities, sometimes attending international cockfighting tournaments, traveling on private jets with other Venezuelan competitors. He also frequents destinations like the United States, China, and Spain.
Oscar Patiño Torres (center) in China with Michael Chambra (right), son of Traki’s president, Antonio Chambra
Oscar Patiño Torres has been involved in various projects and activities in sports, finance, commerce, and social initiatives, predominantly revolving around Antonio Chambra’s businesses.
Once Futve and Mineros de Guayana: His Ventures in Sports
One of Oscar Patiño Torres’s areas of involvement is sports. He currently serves as the director of Once Futve, a platform for disseminating sports information, especially concerning Venezuelan football. Additionally, he has held leadership roles in the Mineros de Guayana team and has overseen TRK Radio, a corporate radio station based in Ciudad Guayana that broadcasts programming aimed at Traki stores throughout Venezuela.
Oscar Patiño during his tenure as Vice President of Mineros de Guayana
In 2015, Oscar Patiño Torres was involved in the purchase of 90% of the shares of Mineros de Guayana, alongside Yauodat Chalich, the administrative vice president of Tiendas Traki. They formed a company called Mineros de Guayana, C.A. to acquire the club that until then belonged to the Cachamay Foundation, managed by the Bolívar state government. However, this operation sparked controversy and corruption allegations against the governor at the time, Francisco Rangel Gómez, for lack of transparency and supposed personal gain. At that time, Rangel Gómez asserted that the Bolívar government would retain 10% of the team’s shares.
Bancumbre and Berzus: His Ties to a Questionable Financial Platform
Oscar Patiño Torres is also the uncle of Oscar Patiño Hernández, co-founder of Bancumbre, a now-defunct multi-currency platform that offered remittance services to Venezuelans. Bancumbre had rebranded itself as Berzus before suspending operations without notice in July 2023, following the raiding of its Caracas headquarters by the Bolivarian National Police.
This police operation stemmed from an investigation conducted by the 74th national prosecutor’s office of Venezuela regarding money laundering, financial, and economic crimes, involving unauthorized financial transactions from state agencies, such as the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV), the Superintendency of Banking Sector Institutions (SUDEBAN), and the National Superintendency of Cryptoactives (Sunacrip).
Berzus was reported by several users for alleged fraud and scams after they complained that the platform was not returning their money or allowing them access to their accounts.
Oscar Patiño Torres has also shown interest in social initiatives. Together with his nephew Oscar Patiño Hernández and other representatives of Traki stores, he has engaged in charity activities in Caracas neighborhoods. These initiatives have been organized by Traki and the NGO Compromiso Compartido, directed by Oscar Patiño Hernández, who is the son of Mario Patiño Torres, the dean of the Faculty of Medicine at UCV.
Oscar Patiño Torres (co-founder of Bancumbre/Berzus and director of the NGO Compromiso Compartido) with his nephew Oscar Patiño Hernández
Compromiso Compartido is a nonprofit organization registered in Florida in 2020 under the name of COMPROMISO COMPARTIDO CORPORATION. Its goal is to provide humanitarian aid and support to vulnerable communities in Venezuela. The NGO has participated in investigative activities in collaboration with the Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB).
Other Companies and Relationships of Oscar Patiño Torres
Oscar Patiño Torres has been co-defendant multiple times alongside his compadre, Antonio Chambra, the majority shareholder of Traki, for cases involving trademark infringement and moral damage, among others. He has also been a director of HOGAR TOTAL C.A. and CASA MODERNA C.A., two companies associated with the Traki group.
Oscar Patiño Torres, Luis Silva, Antonio Chambra, and Pedro Ghamra during the inauguration of a Traki store in Maturín, Monagas state, in 1994
Oscar Patiño Torres, who has served as a “conductor” for Chambra, has also maintained a close friendship with Llanera music singer Luis Silva for decades, sharing moments at various commercial, sporting, and family celebrations. He has also represented Traki as a sponsor of Miss Venezuela on several occasions.
Oscar Patiño Torres at the Miss Venezuela gala 2016, representing Traki as a sponsor
Who is Yauodat Chalich Boueri?
Yauodat Chalich Boueri, nicknamed “Nené,” the man seen in one of the wedding celebration photographs in 2017 next to Samir Maklad El Fallah, has had a diverse career in the business world in Venezuela, largely orbiting around Traki and the Chambra family. This young man of Lebanese descent has been a shareholder in several businesses linked to the Traki group, both in Venezuela and abroad.
Yauodat Chalich Boueri, nicknamed “Nené”
After acquiring the club in 2015, Chalich became president of the Civil Association Deportivo Mineros de Guayana, one of the most emblematic teams in Venezuelan football’s First Division. He was accompanied there by Oscar Patiño Torres, who served as the club’s vice president.
Another role Chalich has held is administrative vice president of Traki. He has been part of Traki since 2001 and has been one of Antonio Chambra’s closest collaborators, sharing Lebanese roots. Traki originated in Ciudad Guayana, the same city where Chalich owns the Consorcio Transporte Los Pinos, C.A.
In the United States, Chalich has been a partner in several companies in Florida, such as Tiki’s Logística LLC, A&S Express Logistics, and Etyle Investment, Inc. In some of these partnerships, he has shared leadership with Michael Chambra—Antonio Chambra’s son—and Alinson Chacón, current president of the Piratas de la Guaira basketball club and vice president of the Deportivo La Guaira football team. In Panama, he has been involved in companies like New Sunny Electronic & Trading, S.A., Kleenor Inc., and Luanda Import & Export, S.A. However, most of these companies are currently inactive.
Alinson Chacón, Vice President of the Deportivo La Guaira football team at the Traki Cup of steer wrestling, held in Paracotos, Miranda state, on April 23, 2022
The year 2020 marked a turning point in Chalich’s career when his departure from the Mineros de Guayana sports club was announced without further details about the reasons or conditions. The new team executives, Jorge Ghamra and Jacinto Buenaventura, also did not provide information on whether there were negotiations or club acquisitions. Interestingly, the Ghamra surname is familiar to Chalich, as family members have been partners in businesses associated with the Traki group, just like Yauodat Chalich and his brother Abraham Chalich Boueri.
A Controversial, Grand Project
On December 15, 2023, a grand celebration with the presence of authorities and celebrities marked the opening of a new location of the Río Supermarket chain in the Plaza Mayor Shopping Center in Lechería, Anzoátegui state. This supermarket, which adds to the company’s existing locations in various Venezuelan cities, is a significant investment that has generated controversy among locals due to its urban impact.
The supermarket’s construction lasted several months and is estimated to have cost millions of dollars, primarily due to its size and modernity. However, not everyone agreed with the project, conducted just meters from a main avenue and, according to a local association, violated urban regulations. Despite the complaints, Lechería’s mayor, Manuel Ferreira, from the opposition party Fuerza Vecinal, authorized the construction and attended the inauguration alongside Anzoátegui state governor Luis José Marcano, a member of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (Psuv).
The supermarket opening was a glamorous event filled with gifts. According to photos and videos that circulated on social media, famous television presenter Viviana Gibelli animated the event and, as captured in a photograph, greeted Governor Marcano with a handshake. In the same image, Samir Makiad El Fallah (whose full name is Samir Maklad El Fallah, as there is an error in his birth certificate), one of the owners of the Río Supermarket chain, is seen alongside prominent members of the Traki group who appeared at the wedding in 2017.
Viviana Gibelli, Samir Makiad El Fallah, and Luis José Marcano
Moreover, social media users noted that during the inauguration of Río Supermarket in Lechería, large quantities of corn flour, drinks, and other products were distributed to the attendees, although it was not clarified whether this was done by the supermarket or by suppliers.
Samir Makiad Investigated for Currency Illegality
Samir Makiad El Fallah is a Lebanese-born entrepreneur who, along with his brother Taisir Maklad El Fallah, rose from humble beginnings to become a magnate in Nueva Esparta state, where he owns and builds large infrastructures. However, his fortune is not without suspicion, as he has been the subject of criminal investigations for alleged currency crimes and fraud.
Samir Makiad El Fallah
In 2015, the Public Ministry initiated a criminal investigation against the Maklad El Fallah brothers for their alleged participation in a fraud involving two managers from Banco Bicentenario, who allegedly facilitated the approval of 2000 currency requests for shell companies that never imported the products they supposedly needed. The investigation began after a report from a bank security supervisor, who provided numerous pieces of evidence confirming the illicit nature of the operations. However, the illegal operations continued without prosecution or follow-up from the prosecution.
On May 25, 2016, prosecutors Ivana Ricci and Erathy Gabriela Salazar ordered Commissioner General Carlos Moreno, head of SEBIN in Nueva Esparta, not to conduct any investigative procedures related to the matters concerning Samir Makiad El Fallah. In other words, the prosecutor’s office instructed SEBIN to cease investigating the crimes with which Samir Makiad El Fallah and his brother were accused.
By 2016, there were rumors that the Public Ministry had prohibited police agencies from investigating Taisir and Samir Makiad, according to a statement authorized by then Attorney General Luisa Ortega Diaz, who was allegedly hosted by the Maklad when she visited Margarita Island. It was also said that Ortega Diaz was invited to parties of high-ranking members of the Traki group, the same individuals with whom Samir Makiad met in January 2017 at a wedding in Caracas.
The Maklad brothers were also feared within the Arab community on Margarita Island, as they were linked to the deceased prison leader or “pran” known as “El Conejo.”
A Massive Front for Money Laundering and Illegal Business?
An investigation by the website informesinfronteras.com in 2022 uncovered a dark plot involving the Maklad El Fallah brothers, who allegedly posed as successful businessmen on Margarita Island despite being reportedly connected to a drug trafficking network operating from Venezuela to the Caribbean and Europe.
According to the report, the Maklad El Fallah brothers, also known by their aliases “El Turco” and “Taisir,” exploited Venezuela’s currency systems (CADIVI, SITME, SICADI, and SICAD II) to obtain over $500 million, aided by several managers from Banco Bicentenario in Eastern Venezuela. They utilized 2000 fraudulent requests from shell companies or briefcase companies, paying commissions to bank managers.
With the money obtained, the brothers partnered with Faisal Fakih Kadri and purchased a substantial number of properties on Margarita Island, including the Río Supermarket chain, which, according to the informesinfronteras.com report, became “the largest money laundering operation on the island.” They also acquired other businesses such as construction firms, shipping companies, and export operations, both domestically and internationally. This allowed them to pass as “new rich” and associate with high-ranking political officials and leaders of criminal organizations.
The report asserts that the Maklad El Fallah brothers did not suffice with their fortune and allegedly decided to engage in drug distribution and shipping to nearby islands like Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, and the Dominican Republic, as well as to Europe. For this, they used private planes, commercial flights, fishing boats, and speedboats, camouflaging these activities as part of their “food distribution” operations.
To expand their business, the brothers were aided by an individual identified as Johnny Alexander Silva Rodríguez, alias “Yostin,” “Justin,” “Yosmel,” or “Yostin Asunción,” a successor of the deceased “pran” known as “El Conejo.” Yostin was presented as a significant businessman; however, he allegedly had a history of drug consumption and distribution, possession and trafficking of firearms, murder-for-hire, and confrontations with rival gangs. He was responsible for the logistics of shipping and distributing drugs to other countries and also traveled to collect payment for the goods. A fan of basketball, he organized tournaments with security agency teams and professional players, paying them $500 per game, according to the report.
Yostin was linked as the owner of a boat intercepted in 2019 while transporting 55 kilos of cocaine from Margarita Island to the Caribbean Sea. The drugs were detected by a Customs and Border Protection aircraft that alerted the Coast Guard. Upon boarding the vessel, named Gran Tormenta, the authorities found 11 Venezuelans who confessed to being forced to transport the contraband.
Margarita Island, located in Nueva Esparta state, has been a strategic point for drug trafficking for decades due to its access to the Caribbean, Central America, and Europe. This practice has intensified in recent years in search of new markets, raising concern among the island’s residents.
The Maklad El Fallah and Their Connections to the Traki Group
Regardless of what is said about the Maklad El Fallah brothers linking them to drug trafficking, Islamic fundamentalism, and currency fraud, it is evident that the brothers have managed to increase their assets despite the Venezuelan crisis. Some sort of “magical recipe” has allowed them to withstand the economic recession that has plagued Venezuela for the past decade.
It seems that Samir Maklad, a partner in Río Supermarket, has also infected his friends from Traki with good fortune, as the store chain has managed to remain operational and grow despite the decline in demand for non-perishable products in recent years in Venezuela.
It is no coincidence that several Río Supermarket locations, where Samir Maklad El Fallah is a shareholder, operate in buildings owned by the Traki group across various Venezuelan cities.
Opening of Río Supermarket in Traki City on Margarita Island on August 23, 2019
The Maklad El Fallah and the Traki group not only share economic interests but also social and media connections. Television presenter Viviana Gibelli, who is the face of Río Supermarket, is also a close friend of Osmel Sousa, the famous king of beauty in Venezuela. Sousa, in turn, is the godfather of Antonio Chambra, the main shareholder of Traki.
Their connections could explain the success of both the Maklad El Fallah’s businesses and the Traki group, which seem to possess a kind of common magic that allows them to thrive in adversity. This is underscored by the recent rumor suggesting that the Chambra family is on the verge of acquiring Galería Avanti, a sophisticated and modern department store that opened its doors in November 2022 in Las Mercedes, Caracas.
The “Dagga Clan” and its Potential Sale of Galería Avanti
Galería Avanti belongs to Yaser Dagga Muhd, a member of the Dagga clan, which specializes in selling appliances and luxury items and owns stores like Daka or Multimax and brands such as Frigilux, Cyberlux, and Condesa, among others.
Galería Avanti
If the sale of Galería Avanti to the Traki group is confirmed, it would imply two things: One is that Yaser Dagga Muhd’s project to offer high-end products in Caracas, like those of Galería Avanti, did not achieve the expected success, and the other is that the Traki group, bolstered by “magical” partners like the Maklad El Fallah, continue to expand their commercial empire in Venezuela.