[The U.S. Department of Justice says a crony of Venezuelan President Maduro pleads guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering] September 16th, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on the 15th that former Venezuelan Industry Minister Sabo, a close confidant of Venezuelan President Maduro and former Venezuelan Minister of Industry, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering in the federal court in Miami, USA. The U.S. Department of Justice said that according to court documents, Saab participated in a bribery and fraud scheme that lasted for nearly 10 years to profit from Venezuela's "Local Supply and Production Council" (CLAP) food and drug public welfare program. Saab admitted that he organized bribes and other illegal payments to public officials to help companies secretly controlled by conspirators obtain Venezuelan government food and drug import contracts. The U.S. said the conspirators then used fake companies, false invoices and shipping records to seize hundreds of millions of dollars, and transferred and laundered the proceeds of crime through shell companies outside Venezuela, with some of the funds passing through the U.S. financial system. (CCTV News)