CARACAS (Reuters)

Venezuelan authorities have arrested former industry and oil minister Pedro Tellechea, according to Attorney General Tarek Saab. This marks the latest high-profile detention related to the management of Venezuela's sanctioned oil industry.

In a statement on Instagram, Saab revealed that Tellechea was arrested in the early hours of Sunday for alleged "grave crimes against the highest interests of the nation."

At age 48, Tellechea was detained along with some of his close collaborators, although their identities were not disclosed. He is accused of handing over part of state oil firm PDVSA to a company linked with U.S. intelligence services.

Just a few days prior to his arrest, Tellechea announced his resignation as industry minister via social media, citing health issues.

In August, President Nicolas Maduro carried out a significant cabinet reshuffle that saw Tellechea transitioned from the oil ministry to the industry ministry, delegating the crucial oil responsibilities to Vice President Delcy Rodriguez.

Tellechea had been appointed in January 2023 to combat endemic corruption within the state oil firm and to improve its finances. His role expanded to include the oil ministry two months after his initial appointment.

A corruption investigation into PDVSA led to several prominent arrests in April, including that of former oil minister Tareck El Aissami, once one of Maduro's most influential officials.

Tellechea earned worker support during his prior position as head of the state petrochemical firm Pequiven by including Nutella—an unusual luxury in Venezuela—in monthly employee food boxes.

Venezuela, a member of OPEC, is a major oil-producing nation in Latin America. However, its crude output has drastically decreased during Maduro's over decade-long presidency, attributed to under-investment and five years of U.S. sanctions on the industry. Recently, the country's oil production has shown signs of slight recovery.

Following Venezuela's July elections, which authorities claim Maduro won but the opposition contests as a victory for their candidate, some opposition members have urged U.S. officials to reconsider or revoke oil licenses that generate income for the government.

Earlier this year, the Biden administration temporarily relaxed stringent sanctions from the Trump era after an electoral agreement struck between the government and the opposition. However, these were re-imposed soon after, as the U.S. indicated that Maduro did not adhere to the terms of the deal. Washington is closely monitoring potential new sanctions.