U.S. federal prosecutors have charged the son of a former far-right Turkish parliamentarian with running an elaborate operation to bypass American sanctions and illegally transport Venezuelan crude oil. The suspect, identified as Taskin Torlak, allegedly received tens of millions of dollars from Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, PdVSA, for his role in the scheme.
Court documents from the U.S. Department of Justice reveal that Torlak and his collaborators employed a range of deceptive tactics to evade detection. These included disabling satellite tracking systems, frequently changing vessel names and national registrations, and forging shipping paperwork to conceal the true origin of the oil shipments. According to a DOJ statement, the operation involved “covering vessel names with paint or blankets” and “turning off the electronics that track vessels’ locations.”
Torlak was apprehended in Miami last week while reportedly trying to leave the country. He now faces accusations of using the American banking system to move money tied to these illegal activities and of violating sanctions enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Matthew Graves, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, alleged that Torlak and his network “planned to sell Venezuelan oil illegally while hiding its source.”
The investigation uncovered that PdVSA had been compensating Torlak for facilitating these shipments. A letter dated June 29, 2023, allegedly sent by Torlak and his associates, complains about unpaid fees, stating that of an outstanding amount of nearly $57.8 million, only about $32.5 million had been received by that date.
The U.S. initially imposed sanctions on PdVSA in 2019, restricting access to American markets and businesses. After a brief suspension in 2023, the penalties were reinstated in 2024, prompting condemnation from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Following the 2019 sanctions, Torlak allegedly instructed a Ukrainian partner to assemble a fleet of “clean” ships—vessels with no prior dealings with sanctioned entities like PdVSA—to transport the crude. One key vessel in the case is the tanker M/T Mirame. On November 3, 2020, Torlak reportedly cautioned his partner to prevent information leaks, noting that 3,850 tons of oil were destined for Singapore from Venezuela. He advised omitting the ship’s name from documents and spent about $1,700 to deregister its previous flag, plus another $1,400 to register a new one.
The probe also points to the M/T Melissa Amy, which changed its flag to one from a country with less stringent compliance standards. Prosecutors say Torlak’s team deactivated Automatic Identification System (AIS) and Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) devices, which are normally used for maritime safety but leave a digital footprint. Other tactics included obscuring the ship’s name or altering records to make it appear the cargo came from Asia or Africa. The M/T Gracy, owned by a Vietnamese firm and linked to the operation, reportedly carried Venezuelan crude under Russian insurance to avoid scrutiny from European and American authorities.
Torlak is the son of Ali Torlak, a well-known figure in the shipping industry and a former Turkish lawmaker. Authorities believe his expertise in freight logistics was instrumental in evading trade restrictions on PdVSA.