Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Did Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Violate US Sanctions On Venezuerla?

Erik Prince testifies before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on security contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan on Capitol Hill in Washington, October 2, 2007. REUTERS/Larry Downing

The Hill: US officials say Erik Prince may have violated Venezuela sanctions: report

Blackwater founder Erik Prince may have evaded U.S. sanctions on Venezuela, two senior U.S. officials reportedly said Monday.

The unnamed officials told The Associated Press that Prince, the brother of Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, had been referred to the Treasury Department over a meeting in Caracas, Venezuela, with the country's vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, a sanctioned ally of President Nicolás Maduro.

An attorney for Prince told the news outlet that his client's meeting was not business-related and that no violation had occurred.

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Update #1: AP Exclusive: Trump ally may have broken Venezuela sanctions (AP)
Update #2: US Officials Suggest Blackwater Founder Violated Sanctions on Venezuela - Report (Sputnik)

WNU Editor: Apparently Erik Prince notified the National Security Council and Treasury Department that he was travelling to Venezuela, and received no objections. My gut tells me that he is one of the back channels that the White House uses to talk to governments that the U.S. does not have good relations with.