Tareck El Aissami
Former Vice President and Oil Minister of Venezuela (in Venezuelan custody)
At a glance
Tareck El Aissami is a former Executive Vice President and former Oil Minister of Venezuela — long one of the most powerful figures in the Maduro government before being arrested in 2024 on corruption charges.
Who is Tareck El Aissami?
Tareck Zaidan El Aissami Maddah served as Executive Vice President of Venezuela (2017–2018), Minister of Industries and National Production, and Minister of Petroleum (2020–2023). He was added to the OFAC SDN list in 2017, with the U.S. Treasury calling him a 'prominent Venezuelan drug trafficker' in the designation announcement.
El Aissami resigned the Oil Ministry in March 2023 amid a major PDVSA corruption probe and was arrested by Venezuelan authorities in April 2024 on charges including treason and money laundering. His arrest is one of the most consequential internal Bolivarian-government rifts since the death of Hugo Chávez.
Also known as: Tareck Zaidan El Aissami Maddah.
Career timeline
- 2017 — Added to the OFAC SDN list under Venezuela-related sanctions
- 2017–2018 — Executive Vice President of Venezuela
- 2020–2023 — Minister of Petroleum and President of PDVSA's holding board
- 2023 — Resigned the Oil Ministry amid a major PDVSA corruption probe
- 2024 — Arrested by Venezuelan authorities on treason and money-laundering charges
Network & connections
The following figures are part of Tareck El Aissami's direct political, cabinet, or institutional network — useful for compliance teams mapping the wider Venezuelan power structure:
Frequently asked questions
▸ Who is Tareck El Aissami?
▸ Why is Tareck El Aissami significant for sanctions and oil-sector compliance?
Sources & further reading
Useful tools and explainers
- Browse all active OFAC Venezuela SDN designations — the live US Treasury tracker for individuals, entities, vessels, and aircraft.
- OFAC Venezuela sanctions checker — paste any name to check it against the active SDN list.
- Sector context for Tareck El Aissami's role — regulatory framework, OFAC pathways, and current deal flow.
- How to invest in Venezuela (2026 sanctions-safe guide)
- Browse all Venezuelan power figures
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