Chavez wants US to ID money laundering suspects

[Judi Lynn]

May 19, 8:24 PM EDT
Chavez wants US to ID money laundering suspects
By FABIOLA SANCHEZ
Associated Press Writers

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Venezuela will ask U.S. authorities to hand over information about brokers suspected of laundering money through the South American nation's parallel currency market, President Hugo Chavez said Wednesday.

Chavez referred to a case in which 16 people were indicted in the United States on charges of laundering at least $7 million in drug trafficking profits through exchanges of Venezuelan currency for U.S. dollars.

Chavez said he believes some of the suspects are Venezuelans, and he suggested some could be linked to the dozens of brokerage firms in Venezuela that have been accused of violating currency trading regulations.

"Have them give us their names," Chavez instructed his foreign minister during a televised speech. "There are no untouchables here."

More:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LT_VENEZUELA_CURRENCY_CONTROLS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2010-05-19-20-24-39