Fernando A Martínez
SegurosyBanca
The flight manifest of a plane acts as a detailed snapshot of its history. Who flew? What destinations did they visit? Passports, names, frequency—everything is recorded by the pilots who, in recent years, operated the Cessna Jet with tail number N496RA, owned by Roberto Añez and David Brillembourg.
As SegurosyBanca has learned, the records of this aircraft involve military personnel and high-ranking officials from the Chavista regime, as well as financial operators who, during the period leading up to sanctions, frequently used this jet for flights to Florida.
Back in 2014, as part of a crackdown on illegal currency operations between Venezuela and the United States, the Southern District of Florida’s prosecutor’s office froze several accounts containing millions of dollars due to possible violations of money transfer regulations.
Five money transfers from Panama and Venezuela totaled $17 million in banks like Wells Fargo.
The account freezes predominantly affected Venezuelan businessman Roberto Antonio Añez, who, according to federal investigators, admitted to engaging in currency exchange involving bolívars and dollars “in what some refer to as the black market,” as stated in the court documents.
In a 31-page filing, IRS special agent Warren Rogers meticulously described how payments and transfers were conducted to and from Venezuela, Mexico, Panama, the Netherlands, Portugal, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Switzerland, Spain, and Aruba. The funds were funneled through a web of companies, some with legitimate activities, such as a hotel construction and real estate firm in Miami owned by Venezuelan investors, while others appeared to be front companies, according to the lawsuit.
One of the seized accounts was registered under International Services and Supplies Inc. (I.S. & S), which operated out of Añez’s home in Coral Gables, Florida. Although the company had international trade among its objectives, it had reported only three exports to Venezuela totaling $662,000 since 2010, the complaint claimed.
Añez’s residence in Coral Gables was under secret surveillance, allowing investigators to conclude that activities mentioned by the companies registered at that address were not taking place there. The complaint warned that the residence was undergoing renovations. Some transfers were allegedly used to pay for Cessna aircraft parts, jewelry, artwork, and products from Hermes and Louis Vuitton.
The I.S. & S. account received $9.2 million in deposits from firms like ABO International LLC and Waste Pro Solutions, which in turn listed Añez as a signatory, suggesting that he was both the sender and beneficiary of the transactions.
Some outgoings from the account were supposedly used for imported cars, machinery, and real estate, but investigators did not find any information indicating that I.S. & S. had any history or experience in those businesses. In other instances, bank transfers lacked clear justifications. Many were simply described as “equipment purchases.”
One of the frozen accounts received transfers from Calton Hill Holdings, a foreign firm. According to the complaint, this company “has been the source of many wire transfers to numerous bank accounts of individuals and companies that ultimately led to the confiscation of real estate, bank accounts, and aircraft.”