This blog is primarily inactive as I am now employed full-time, but I am taking the time to update some previous articles. Please remember, the content reflects my personal research and opinions and is not linked to my employer.
You may recall Arevenca, which is essentially run by Francisco González, alongside a few colleagues and family members. He adopted the name of an abandoned sandlot on the coast of Venezuela, Arenera de Venezuela CA, to conduct a series of large-scale cons over the past decade, including:
I initially reported on Arevenca here and have written about it in Vice and CJR.
As detailed in the Vice article, González and a number of accomplices — some of whom appear to have been victims of the fraud themselves — struck gold with the Díaz family in Puerto Rico, extracting US$7.8 million for a non-existent shipment of asphalt. The Díaz family has been pursuing him across Aruba, Puerto Rico, and Spain for years. A month ago, after González repeatedly failed to appear in court in Spain, an arrest warrant was issued:
Shortly thereafter, Venezuelan authorities arrested him for potential extradition to Spain.
After a few relatively calm years, González resurfaced recently. Firstly, the Arevenca Bank website received a facelift.
Additionally, there was a letter to Venezuelan Trade Minister Jesús Farías, proposing Arevenca’s British Virgin Islands corporation as a potential source of US$10 billion in financing for food imports to Venezuela.
On top of all this, González is also facing legal issues in the USA, while Aruban authorities auctioned off his helicopter.
Whether González will ever face trial remains uncertain. Article 69 of the Venezuelan constitution states, “Extradition of Venezuelans is prohibited,” and the Venezuelan judicial system is not known for its efficiency. Nevertheless, it seems apparent that this con artist is nearing the end of his laundering activities.