In January 2017, a wedding celebration in Caracas highlighted a connection that has been evident to many but seemingly overlooked until now. This was 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 faced by the South American country, this chain has managed to remain operational and diversify its offerings.
The wedding comprised two parts: the civil and the religious ceremonies, both of which featured two special guests. Both appear in photographs taken during the festivities, alongside other men linked to Traki.
In the first photograph from the civil ceremony, Julio is seen surrounded by several guests, notably Samir Makiad El Fallah (first from left to right) and Oscar Antonio Patiño Torres (fourth from left to right). Julio wears a pink tie and a handkerchief in his pocket, distinguishing him from the others. Also present is 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
The second photograph, taken days later at Quinta Esmeralda, the venue for the religious ceremony celebration, 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 massive currency fraud and alleged connections to money laundering and drug trafficking.
Quinta Esmeralda is an exclusive venue for high-level events, such as beauty contests and celebrations of Caracas’s elite.
To understand the significance of the previous images, it is essential to delve deeper into the profiles of Oscar Antonio Patiño Torres, Mahmoud Chalich, and Samir Makiad El Fallah, their backgrounds, businesses, and histories. We will start with Oscar Patiño.
Who is Oscar Patiño Torres?
Oscar Antonio Patiño Torres has been alongside the Lebanese businessman Antonio Chambra, the current president and majority shareholder of Traki, for over three decades. Patiño hails from the state of Bolívar, where he met and became friends with Antonio Chambra during his youth when he had much more abundant hair. Since then, he has participated in various businesses developed by Chambra and his family throughout Venezuela.
Currently, Oscar Patiño Torres is a partner and godfather to Antonio Chambra’s daughter, Nadia Chambra. He has served as Traki’s Vice President of Operations for several years. One could say that Oscar Patiño is the man who whispers into Antonio Chambra’s ear, being a trusted confidant and a person aware of the secrets of the Chambra family, having accompanied 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 raising fighting cocks. One of his brothers is Mario Patiño Torres, an internist and the dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV).
Mario Patiño (Dean of the UCV Faculty of Medicine) and his brother Oscar Patiño
Oscar Patiño Torres’s daughter and her husband—of Arab descent—reside in China, where they have assisted with Traki’s operations in that Asian country. Traki operates an office in the port city of Canton, from where exports of Chinese products to Traki stores in Venezuela are coordinated, sometimes managed directly by Patiño.
Oscar Patiño Torres at Traki facilities in Canton, China
In recent years, Oscar Patiño Torres has focused on horse breeding in Bolívar and Hoyo de la Puerta, Miranda state, through Trampa Jaula Ranch, a farm managed by his son Ramón Antonio Patiño. The horses at Trampa Jaula Ranch often compete in steer wrestling tournaments across various locations in Venezuela. The ranch proudly owns Turbo Rey, one of its best specimens.
Oscar Patiño and his horse Turbo Rey
Trampa Jaula Ranch also offers services for mare breeding and the sale of foals.
Another great passion of Oscar Patiño Torres is cockfighting, for which he has a breeding facility named Gallos Patiño. Oscar inherited his love for cocks from his father, which leads him to participate in various cockfighting events in both Venezuela and Colombia, where he has many Colombian and Panamanian friends.
Oscar Patiño Torres (left) at the Medellín Cockfighting Club – Colombia, November 2023
On November 29, 2023, Patiño participated in the Ricky Ledee cockfighting tournament at the Medellín Cockfighting Club in the eponymous city, where one of his roosters was crowned 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 there and to other Colombian cities in recent years, sometimes flying on private jets with other Venezuelan competitors to international cockfighting tournaments. His other favorite destinations include the United States, China, and Spain.
Oscar Patiño Torres (center) in China with Michael Chambra (right), son of Traki president Antonio Chambra
Oscar Patiño Torres has been involved in various projects and activities within the sports, financial, commercial, and social realms, often orbiting around Antonio Chambra’s businesses.
Once Futve and Mineros de Guayana: His Ventures in Sports
One of Oscar Patiño Torres’s areas of engagement is sports. He currently serves as the director of Once Futve, a platform for disseminating sports information, particularly about Venezuelan football. Additionally, he has served as an executive for the Mineros de Guayana team and has managed TRK Radio, a corporate radio station based in Ciudad Guayana that broadcasts programming directed at Traki stores throughout Venezuela.
Oscar Patiño during his tenure as Vice President of Mineros de Guayana
In 2015, Oscar Patiño Torres participated in the acquisition of 90% of the shares of Mineros de Guayana alongside Yauodat Chalich, the administrative vice president of Tiendas Traki. The company they formed was called Mineros de Guayana, C.A. and acquired the club which was previously owned by the Cachamay Foundation, managed by the Bolívar state government. However, this operation sparked controversy and accusations of corruption against the then-governor, Francisco Rangel Gómez, due to a lack of transparency and alleged personal benefits. At that time, Rangel Gómez stated that the Bolívar government would retain 10% of the team’s shares.
Bancumbre and Berzus: His Connection 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 changed its name to Berzus before it abruptly suspended operations in July 2023, after its Caracas headquarters was raided by the Bolivarian National Police.
The police operation stemmed from an investigation led by the national prosecutor’s office in Venezuela for money laundering, financial, and economic crimes related to conducting financial transactions without authorization from relevant state agencies such as the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV), the Superintendency of Banking Sector Institutions of Venezuela (SUDEBAN), and the National Superintendency of Crypto Assets (Sunacrip).
Berzus was denounced by several users for alleged fraud and scams after they complained about the platform failing to return their money or granting them access to their accounts.
Oscar Patiño Torres has also shown interest in social initiatives. Along with his nephew, Oscar Patiño Hernández, and other representatives of Traki, he has participated in charitable activities in Caracas’ neighborhoods. These initiatives were organized by Traki and the NGO Compromiso Compartido, headed by Oscar Patiño Hernández, who is the son of Mario Patiño Torres, the dean of the UCV Faculty of Medicine.
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 non-profit organization registered in Florida in 2020, named 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 Businesses and Relationships of Oscar Patiño Torres
Oscar Patiño Torres has faced several lawsuits alongside his godfather, Antonio Chambra, the majority shareholder of Traki, for cases involving the misuse of trademark and moral damage, among others. He has also held executive roles at 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 been a kind of “conductor” for Chambra, has also enjoyed a close friendship with the llanera music singer Luis Silva for decades, sharing various commercial, sporting, and family celebration events with him. Furthermore, he has represented Traki as a sponsor of the Miss Venezuela pageant on several occasions.
Oscar Patiño Torres at the Miss Venezuela 2016 gala, 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 alongside Samir Maklad El Fallah, has had a diverse career in the business world in Venezuela, much of which revolves around Traki and the Chambra family. This young man of Lebanese descent has been a shareholder in several companies 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 of the Mineros de Guayana Sports Club, one of the most emblematic teams in the Venezuelan First Division. He was accompanied by Oscar Patiño Torres, who served as vice president of the club.
Another role that Chalich has played is that of 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 Los Pinos Transport Consortium, C.A.
In the United States, Chalich has been a partner in several companies in Florida, including Tiki’s Logística LLC, A&S Express Logistics, and Etyle Investment, Inc. In some of these partnerships, he has shared executive roles with Michael Chambra—Antonio Chambra’s son—Antonio Chambra himself, and Alinson Chacón, the current president of the Piratas de la Guaira basketball team and vice president of the Deportivo La Guaira football team. In Panama, he has been linked to companies such as 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 Copa Traki in steer wrestling, held in Paracotos, Miranda state, on April 23, 2022
The year 2020 marked a turning point in Chalich’s career, as he announced his departure from the Mineros de Guayana sports club, without providing detailed reasons or conditions for his exit. The new team’s directors, Jorge Ghamra and Jacinto Buenaventura, also did not disclose whether there were negotiations or an acquisition of the club. Interestingly, the surname Ghamra is familiar to Chalich, as members of the Ghamra family have been business partners linked to the Traki group for years, just like Yauodat Chalich and his brother Abraham Chalich Boueri.
A Controversial and Monumental Project
On December 15, 2023, a grand celebration occurred with the presence of authorities and celebrities for the inauguration of a new location for the Río Supermarket chain in the Plaza Mayor Shopping Center, Lechería, Anzoátegui state. The supermarket, which adds to the company’s existing outlets in other Venezuelan cities, is a large-scale project that required a multi-million dollar investment and generated controversy among locals due to its urban impact.
The supermarket’s construction took several months and is estimated to have cost several million dollars, given the size and modernity of the establishment. However, not everyone agreed with the project, which was built just a few meters from a main avenue and, according to a neighborhood association, would violate urban regulations. Despite the complaints, Lechería’s mayor, Manuel Ferreira, from the opposition party Fuerza Vecinal, authorized the project and attended the inauguration alongside Anzoátegui state governor Luis José Marcano, a member of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV).
The supermarket’s inauguration was a glamorous event filled with gifts. According to photos and videos circulated on social media, television presenter Viviana Gibelli hosted the event, where she was photographed shaking hands with Governor Marcano. Also visible in the photo is Samir Makiad El Fallah (his correct name is Samir Maklad El Fallah due to an error on his birth certificate), one of the owners of the Río Supermarket chain, who appeared in the 2017 wedding photo alongside top officials of the Traki group.
Viviana Gibelli, Samir Makiad El Fallah, and Luis José Marcano
Samir Makiad El Fallah
Additionally, it was noted on social media that during the inauguration of the Río Supermarket in Lechería, a large quantity of corn flour, beverages, and other products were distributed to attendees, although it wasn’t clear whether this was done by the supermarket or its suppliers.
Samir Makiad Under Investigation for Currency Offenses
Samir Makiad El Fallah is a Lebanese businessman who, along with his brother Taisir Maklad El Fallah, went from humble beginnings to becoming a mogul in Nueva Esparta, 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 offenses and fraud.
Samir Makiad El Fallah
In 2015, the Public Ministry launched a criminal investigation against the Maklad El Fallah brothers for their alleged participation in a fraud involving two managers of Banco Bicentenario, who supposedly facilitated the approval of 2,000 foreign currency requests for ghost or shell companies that never imported the products they claimed to need. The investigation was initiated following a report by the bank’s security supervisor, who provided ample evidence confirming the illicit operations. However, the illegal activities went unpunished and without follow-up from the prosecutor’s office.
On May 25, 2016, prosecutors Ivana Ricci and Erathy Gabriela Salazar, 53 national and 14 of Nueva Esparta respectively, ordered General Commissioner Carlos Moreno, head of SEBIN in Nueva Esparta, to “refrain from carrying out any investigative actions related to the facts” concerning the investigation against Samir Makiad El Fallah. In other words, the prosecutor’s office instructed SEBIN to stop investigating the crimes accused against Samir Makiad El Fallah and his brother.
In 2016, it was reported 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 Díaz, of whom the Maklad were supposedly hosts when the then-official visited Margarita Island. It was also claimed that Ortega Díaz was invited to parties held by the top brass of the Traki group, whom Samir Makiad met in January 2017 at a wedding in Caracas.
The Maklads were also feared by 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 Businesses?
An investigation by informesinfronteras.com in 2022 revealed a dark plot involving the Maklad El Fallah brothers, who are said to pose as successful businessmen on Margarita Island, despite being allegedly linked to a drug trafficking network that has operated from Venezuela to the Caribbean and Europe.
According to the report, the Maklad El Fallah, also known by their aliases “El Turco” and “Taisir,” exploited the Venezuelan currency systems (CADIVI, SITME, SICADI, and SICAD II) to obtain over 500 million dollars, with the complicity of several managers at Banco Bicentenario in Eastern Venezuela. To achieve this, they submitted 2,000 fraudulent requests from shell companies, paying commissions to bank managers.
With the money obtained, the brothers partnered with Faisal Fakih Kadri and purchased a substantial amount of properties on Margarita Island, including the Río Supermarket chain, which according to informesinfronteras.com has turned into “the largest money laundering operation on the island.” They also acquired other businesses like construction, shipping, and exporting companies, both inside and outside the country. Thus, they portrayed themselves as “newly wealthy” and mingled with high-ranking political officials and leaders of criminal organizations.
The report asserts that the Maklad El Fallah were not satisfied with their fortunes and allegedly decided to enter the drug transport and distribution business towards the nearest islands to Margarita, such as Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, and the Dominican Republic, as well as into Europe. 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 enlisted the help of an individual identified as Johnny Alexander Silva Rodríguez, alias “Yostin,” “Justin,” “Yosmel,” or “Yostin Asunción,” the successor of the deceased “pran” known as “El Conejo.” Yostin was portrayed as an important businessman but was reportedly known for drug use and distribution, possession and trafficking of firearms, contract killing, and confrontations with rival gangs. He handled the logistics for the shipment and distribution of narcotics to other countries and also traveled to collect payment for the merchandise. He was a basketball enthusiast and organized tournaments with security agency teams and professional players, paying them 500 dollars per game, according to the report.
Yostin was reported to be linked as the owner of a vessel intercepted in 2019 while transporting 55 kilograms of cocaine from Margarita Island to the Caribbean Sea. The drug was detected by a Customs and Border Protection aircraft, which alerted the Coast Guard. When the boat, named Gran Tormenta, was boarded, 11 Venezuelans confessed that they had been forced to transport the contraband.
Margarita Island, located in Nueva Esparta, has been a strategic location 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, generating concern among the island’s inhabitants.
The Maklad El Fallah and Their Links to the Traki Group
Regardless of what is said about the Maklad El Fallah, linking them to drug trafficking, Islamic fundamentalism, and currency fraud, one evident fact is that the brothers have managed to enhance their wealth despite the Venezuelan crisis. Some type of “magic recipe” has allowed them to withstand the onslaught of the economic recession that has plagued Venezuela for the past decade.
It also seems that Samir Maklad, a partner of Río Supermarket, has shared his good fortune with his friends at Traki, a store chain that continues to thrive and expand despite the decline in demand for non-perishable goods that commerce in Venezuela has experienced in recent years.
Notably, several Río Supermarket establishments, in which Samir Maklad El Fallah is a shareholder, operate in various Venezuelan cities in locations owned by the Traki group.
Inauguration of Río Supermarket in Traki City on Margarita Island, August 23, 2019
The Maklad El Fallah and the Traki group not only share economic interests but also social and media ties. Television presenter Viviana Gibelli, who is the face of Río Supermarket, is also a close friend of Osmel Sousa, the famous Venezuelan beauty czar. Sousa, in turn, is godfather to Antonio Chambra, the primary shareholder of Traki.
These connections may explain the success of the Maklad El Fallah businesses and the Traki group, who seem to have a sort of common magic that allows them to prosper amid adversity. This is evidenced by recent rumors indicating that the Chambra family may be close to acquiring the Galería Avanti, a sophisticated and modern department store that opened its doors in November 2022, in the Las Mercedes neighborhood of Caracas.
The “Dagga Clan” and Their Potential Sale of Galería Avanti
Galería Avanti belongs to Yaser Dagga Muhd, a member of the Dagga clan, which is dedicated to selling appliances and luxury items, owning stores like Daka or Multimax, as well as brands such as Frigilux, Cyberlux, or 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, backed by “magical” partners like the Maklad El Fallah, continues to expand its commercial empire in Venezuela.