Colonel Marino Lugo, arrested in Venezuela for oil corruption plot, discovered deceased

Colonel Venezuelan Marino Lugo, who was one of those arrested for the corruption plot within the state oil company Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), was found dead inside the cell where he was being held, the Public Ministry reported on Wednesday. The Prosecutor’s Office presumes that it was a suicide. According to preliminary evidence collected by specialists, the Prosecutor’s Office indicated that the death occurred due to hanging. An autopsy was conducted on the deceased, but the results have not been disclosed yet.

The Colonel was detained in relation to the investigation of the PDVSA-Cripto case, for which there are over 54 people arrested, including former Ministers of Oil and Economy, Tareck El Aissami and Simon Zerpa. The Public Ministry stated that Marino Lugo would be charged with crimes such as appropriation of public assets, money laundering, and association.

In a press conference, the Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro announced new arrests related to the corruption network, but did not disclose the number of people detained or their identities. Tarek William Saab, the attorney general, also did not provide further details during a media appearance. This corruption case has seen arrests halted in the past due to the deaths of two detainees, one by suicide and the other due to a pre-existing illness.