Skip to main content

Cabudare · Barquisimeto · Lara state

EspañolSearch

Reward in effect

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York charges Tareck Zaidan El Aissami Maddah with conspiracy to defraud the United States

An eight-count superseding indictment in the Southern District of New York (case S5 19 Cr. 144 (AKH)), unsealed on March 26, 2020, charges Tareck Zaidan El Aissami Maddah with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy, prohibited-transaction and evasion counts under the “Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act.” According to the indictment, between February 2017 and March 2019 El Aissami Maddah and others allegedly used U.S.-based companies to charter private flights despite sanctions imposed by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The U.S. State Department offers a reward of up to US$10 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction.

Official English-language poster from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), ICE, published by the Justice Department: “WANTED for Crimes Against the United States,” reward of up to US$10 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Tareck Zaidan El Aissami Maddah.Capturedper ICE
Official poster from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, published by the Justice Department. A work of the U.S. federal government, in the public domain. View the original poster (PDF) Stamp added by Cabudare over the original poster: the ICE listing marks him “Captured”. View the ICE listing

Current status

According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), El Aissami Maddah was arrested in April 2024 by Venezuela's National Anticorruption Police (PNCC) for activity unrelated to HSI indictments. He is currently being held in Venezuela, according to ICE. The U.S. State Department's reward offer is listed as in effect (last updated April 9, 2026).

Next review:

Charges as stated in the document

  1. Count 1: “Conspiracy to Defraud the United States”

    Statute cited: 18 U.S.C. §§ 371 and 3238

  2. Count 2: “Conspiracy to Violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act”

    Statute cited: 50 U.S.C. § 1705; 18 U.S.C. § 3238; Executive Order 13692; 31 C.F.R. §§ 591.201, 591.301 and 591.309

  3. Count 3: “Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering”

    Statute cited: 18 U.S.C. §§ 1956(h) and 3238

  4. Count 4: “Conspiracy to Violate and Evade the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act and the Kingpin Act Regulations”

    Statute cited: 21 U.S.C. §§ 1904(c)(1)-(2) and 1906(a)(1)-(2); 18 U.S.C. § 3238; 31 C.F.R. §§ 598.203(a), 598.204 and 598.406

  5. Count 5: “Prohibited Transactions in Violation of the Kingpin Act and the Kingpin Act Regulations”

    Statute cited: 21 U.S.C. §§ 1904(c)(1) and 1906(a)(2); 18 U.S.C. §§ 3238 and 2; 31 C.F.R. §§ 598.203(a) and 598.406

  6. Count 6: “Evasion of the Kingpin Act and the Kingpin Act Regulations”

    Statute cited: 21 U.S.C. §§ 1904(c)(2) and 1906(a)(2); 18 U.S.C. §§ 3238 and 2; 31 C.F.R. § 598.204

  7. Count 7: “Prohibited Transactions in Violation of the Kingpin Act and the Kingpin Act Regulations”

    Statute cited: 21 U.S.C. §§ 1904(c)(1)-(2) and 1906(a)(2); 18 U.S.C. §§ 3238 and 2; 31 C.F.R. §§ 598.203(a) and 598.406

  8. Count 8: “Evasion of the Kingpin Act and the Kingpin Act Regulations”

    Statute cited: 21 U.S.C. §§ 1904(c)(2) and 1906(a)(2); 18 U.S.C. §§ 3238 and 2; 31 C.F.R. § 598.204

Official documents cited

  • Superseding Indictment, United States v. Tareck Zaidan El Aissami Maddah et al.

    Case
    S5 19 Cr. 144 (AKH)
    Document date
    Accessed

    Open official documentArchived copy

  • Tareck Zaidan El Aissami Maddah– New Target — Narcotics Rewards Program: Wanted

    Document date
    Accessed

    Open official documentArchived copy

  • El Aissami Maddah, Tareck Zaidan — ICE Most Wanted: Captured

    Status on the ICE page
    Captured
    Document date
    Accessed

    Open official documentArchived copy

Back to Accountability

Share this page