Colonel Marino Lugo’s Mysterious Death in PDVSA Corruption Case Raises New Questions

Venezuelan Colonel Marino Lugo, who was one of those arrested in the corruption plot at state oil company Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), has been found dead in his cell, the Public Ministry announced on Wednesday. The Prosecutor’s Office suspects that he took his own life, but a preliminary autopsy has not yet been released.

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

In a press conference, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced new arrests related to the corruption network but did not disclose the number of people detained or their identities. Attorney General Tarek William Saab 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.