June 16, 2025
Venezuelan National and U.S. Citizen Arrested for Sanctions Evasion and Smuggling in Scheme to Supply Venezuela’s State-Owned Steel Industry
Juan Carlos Cairo-Padron, 56, of Huntsville, Texas, and Thomas Michael Fortinberry, 51, of Decatur, Alabama, were arrested on June 13, 2025 on a federal criminal complaint charging them with violating U.S. sanctions related to Venezuela, illegally smuggling goods from the United States, and money laundering. The defendants will make their initial court appearances in the Southern District of Texas today.