Miami man who serviced Russian jets in Venezuela denied bail

By JOSHUA GOODMAN
Associated Press

CLEVELAND, Ohio (AP) — A Miami businessman accused of servicing Venezuela’s fleet of Russian fighter jets in violation of U.S. sanctions was denied bail as a federal judge determined he was a flight risk due to extensive ties with the South American country’s military. The case against Jorge Nobrega stands out from a bevy of other ongoing criminal investigations focused on corruption in Venezuela because it’s one of the first to look into the dealings of Venezuela’s powerful military. It also could shed a light on how Maduro’s socialist government began relying on Thailand’s Tipco Asphalt to make payments around the world once U.S. sanctions imposed in 2019 cut off it’s access to western banks.