The Venezuelan lawyer and criminologist, Salvador Pimentel Rojas, an expert in Human Rights and Money Laundering, will file formal complaints with the Economic Crimes Prosecutor’s Office in Madrid and the Attorney General’s Office in Portugal against Portuguese citizen Joao Mendes Pedro. The accusations focus on Mendes Pedro’s alleged involvement in a series of crimes against Venezuela’s public assets, including his purported role in the Pdvsa-Crypto corruption scandal and his involvement in managing financial operations aimed at laundering state funds from Venezuela in Spain, Portugal, and other countries.
Pimentel claims that Mendes Pedro has used various banking entities, including the Venezuelan Credit Bank, as well as international financial institutions and NeoBank or Fintech platforms, to facilitate these illicit operations. The complaint seeks a thorough investigation into Mendes Pedro’s financial activities and those of his associates, aiming to identify and freeze assets reportedly obtained through corruption.
Connections with Former Venezuelan Officials and Money Laundering Operations in Europe
Salvador Pimentel has pointed out that Joao Mendes Pedro “is linked with many corrupt businessmen,” as well as with prominent figures of the Venezuelan government like former Oil Minister Rafael Ramírez, who is currently a fugitive, and former Minister Tareck El Aissami, who is in detention. Additionally, he has ties to military personnel of the Venezuelan Army who held positions in PDVSA during El Aissami’s term. According to Pimentel, Mendes Pedro is a key figure in legitimizing funds siphoned from Venezuela in the European Union and the United States.
The lawyer argues that money diverted from the Venezuelan state has been deposited in bank accounts of European entities and has also been invested in companies and assets. For this reason, he will request that authorities in Spain, Italy, and Portugal investigate all properties and assets belonging to Mendes Pedro and his family, who are also believed to be involved in the corruption scheme, to proceed with their freezing. This aims to recover public funds allegedly misappropriated and bring those responsible for these illicit acts to justice.
Complaint Regarding Corrupt Military Personnel in PDVSA
In an ironic tone, Pimentel stated that the investigation has revealed that military personnel who were part of PDVSA during Tareck El Aissami’s administration were merely corrupt individuals who, under the motto “always loyal and never traitors,” now seek to enjoy in Europe the money fraudulently siphoned off. With this statement, the lawyer directly connects Joao Mendes Pedro to individuals who currently own properties in Spain, such as Colonel Antonio Pérez Suárez and other military officials linked to former Minister El Aissami.
The lawyer emphasized how common it is to see individuals misuse their high-level jobs and responsibilities for illicit enrichment. In this case, a link has been established between Tareck El Aissami, Colonel Marino José Lugo Aguilar, and other military personnel, who, in collusion with Mendes Pedro and some of his relatives, would have committed serious offenses, including corruption, legitimization of capital, and fraud, among others. These criminal actions, according to Pimentel, would have allowed the diversion of significant sums of money from Venezuela’s public assets.
Illicit Investments and Front Companies for Money Laundering
Salvador Pimentel assumes that a significant portion of the money obtained by Joao Mendes Pedro through corrupt activities in PDVSA has been allocated to creating companies in collaboration with partners who also act as front men for former oil industry officials. Furthermore, it is suspected that these funds were used to acquire real estate and vehicles in Venezuela, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and the United States.
Among the properties linked to Mendes Pedro, Pimentel highlighted the ownership of a gas station in Guarenas, Miranda state, Venezuela, known as “Estación de Servicio El Socorro C.A.” (RIF: J-31421435-7). This company, located between kilometers 9 and 10 of the Petare-Guarenas highway, has allegedly been used as a front to legitimize funds derived from PDVSA, evading tax payments and transferring large sums of money to Europe without declaring them to the relevant authorities. According to the lawyer, this operation constitutes a clear violation of Venezuelan and international laws, enabling large-scale money laundering.
Network of Partners, Companies, and Details in the Money Laundering Scheme
Lawyer Salvador Pimentel claims to possess documents confirming the involvement of five partners and collaborators of Joao Mendes Pedro in the legitimization of funds within the Venezuelan oil industry. These individuals, along with the companies they are linked to, are believed to have facilitated the triangulation of financial operations to launder illicit funds.
The implicated partners, including Joao Mendes Pedro’s children, a brother, and his wife, are Antonio Rafael Mendes Pedro, Lisbeth Carolina Chirinos García, Moreno Pernía Yoleida del Valle, Johnny Alexander Mendes Chirinos, and Michelle Lisbeth Mendes Chirinos. The companies associated with this network include:
Inversiones Hermano Mendes y Asociados C.A.: A commercial company based in Caracas, registered in the Mercantile Registry II of the Federal District and Miranda state on July 21, 2000, under number 6, Volume 173 A Sgdo.
Panadería y Pastelería Buenaventura Vista Play C.A.: A commercial company located in Guatire, Miranda state, registered in the Mercantile Registry V of the Federal District and Miranda state on August 29, 2003, under number 64.
Licorcaiza S.R.L.: A commercial entity located between kilometers 9 and 10 of the Petare-Guarenas highway, registered in the Mercantile Registry V of the Federal District and Miranda state on June 26, 2005, under number 13, Volume 1124 A Sgdo.
Estación de Servicio El Socorro C.A.: RIF: J-31421435-7, a commercial company situated between kilometers 9 and 10 of the Petare-Guarenas highway, registered in the Mercantile Registry VII of the Federal District and Miranda state on October 7, 2005, under number 58, Volume 557-A-VII.
Licorcaiza Express S.R.L.: A commercial company based between kilometers 9 and 10 of the Petare-Guarenas highway, registered in the Mercantile Registry II of the Federal District and Miranda state on June 3, 2011, under number 5, Volume 129-A-Sgdo.
These companies, located in Caracas and Miranda state, are believed to have been used to cover up Mendes Pedro’s illicit activities and facilitate the flow of money obtained fraudulently.
Ongoing Investigations and Possible Real Estate Acquisitions in Venezuela and Abroad
As a result of the investigations, a group of individuals connected to Joao Mendes Pedro has been identified, who will also be investigated. Extensive searches are being conducted to determine if there are properties in Europe under the names of his partners Lisbeth Carolina Chirinos García, Antonio Rafael Mendes Pedro, Moreno Pernia Yoleida del Valle, Johnny Alexander Mendes Chirinos, and Michelle Lisbeth Mendes Chirinos.
Additionally, it is believed that part of the money illegally obtained by Mendes Pedro was used to purchase apartments in the municipalities of El Hatillo and Baruta in Miranda state, as well as in Caraballeda, La Guaira state, in Venezuela. Furthermore, it is suspected that luxury Toyota trucks were acquired as an incentive for Mendes Pedro and his daughter Michelle to travel to Miami, United States, to open bank accounts. According to Pimentel, these actions are part of a strategy to diversify and conceal funds obtained fraudulently through corruption at PDVSA.
Call to International Action and Venezuelan Authorities
Dr. Salvador Pimentel has called on lawyers around the globe to report individuals who have stolen money from the Venezuelan state and entered it illegally into Europe, Asia, and the United States to the competent authorities. Pimentel urges international authorities not to allow these corrupt individuals, camouflaged as businessmen, to continue harming the Republic’s assets and demands they be pursued in any jurisdiction they may be found.
Furthermore, the lawyer stresses that such legal cases are apolitical and that corrupt individuals, regardless of their affiliations, must be brought to justice. He has urged the Venezuelan Prosecutor’s Office to activate the necessary special mechanisms to prosecute this group accused of legitimizing capital on a global scale in Venezuela. International collaboration and decisive action by the authorities, according to Pimentel, are essential to dismantle these corruption networks and recover the diverted public funds. With this call to action, the goal is to generate a robust response against impunity and ensure that those responsible for these acts are held accountable before the law.
