Turkish National Arrested for Evading U.S. Sanctions

U.S. authorities have arrested Taskin Torlak, a 37-year-old Turkish national, in Miami for allegedly orchestrating a scheme to evade U.S. sanctions by transporting Venezuelan oil on behalf of Venezuela's state-owned oil company, PDVSA. Torlak is accused of using deceptive practices, such as renaming and reflagging oil tankers and disabling tracking systems, to conceal the oil's Venezuelan origin and facilitate illegal sales. The scheme allegedly involved a network of international co-conspirators, including entities from Ukraine, China, and Indonesia. Torlak and his associates reportedly received tens of millions of dollars from PDVSA and obscured the identities of beneficiaries to bypass U.S. financial scrutiny. The arrest is part of ongoing U.S. efforts to enforce sanctions against Venezuela aimed at pressuring President Nicolas Maduro's government. Torlak faces charges under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act for his role in the conspiracy.