In the tangled landscape of post-sanction Venezuelan economy, a little-known figure has quietly risen to power: Antonio Luis González Morales. Behind the scenes, this businessman has been pivotal in crafting the financial strategies that sustain Nicolás Maduro’s regime despite international pressure.
Where oil tankers change names, shell companies shift assets in a matter of hours, and millions flow through hidden accounts in Dubai, Florida, or Panama… there operates González Morales. Not only does he survive, but he also thrives.
An Operator in the Shadows
Before being linked to oil logistics and real estate money laundering, González Morales was already recognized as a contractor for the state, alongside Jorge Andrés Giménez Ochoa and Martín Merckx Landaluce, through companies like Constructora 2GM and Alimentos Lual, which supplied the Chavista CLAP food program.
This was his launching pad into a much broader network that would take him beyond Venezuelan borders.
The Trident Network: A Stateless Fleet
The major leap came with his involvement in the so-called Trident network, a group of companies registered in Seychelles, used to move sanctioned oil from Venezuela, Iran, and Russia, in violation of international restrictions.
One of the key vessels, the Mirame (IMO 9227948), was involved in operations linked to PDVSA and Russian companies between 2020 and 2024. Officially owned by Trident Symphony Ltd, the ship exemplifies the use of opaque legal structures, disconnections of transponders, and cargo transfers at sea to evade controls.
At the center of it all is the Turkish firm Imza Marine Denizcilik AS, which operates as the logistical hub for these operations.
Power, Business, and Alliances
González Morales has thrived not only due to his financial acumen but also because of his closeness to the power circle. He represents a new generation of economic operators who have replaced figures like Alex Saab and Álvaro Pulido, who have now fallen from grace.
One of his closest allies is Jorge Andrés Giménez Ochoa, current president of the Venezuelan Football Federation and a key player in Maduro’s inner circle. They share businesses like Cenesur, Angira Group, and Biogenética La Hermandad, used to channel operations with PDVSA via barter, crypto-assets, and triangulation.
In the real estate sector, his partner is Armando “Coco” Capriles, heir to one of the most influencial families in Venezuela. Together, they have built a real estate empire in Florida, Panama, and the Caribbean, through legal structures that obscure the origin of their funds.
The Orlen Scandal: A $300 Million Fraud
In 2023, González Morales made headlines again, this time for his role in a fraudulent operation involving Poland’s state oil company, Orlen, exceeding $300 million. Through companies such as Horizon Global and Hannon International Middle East DMCC, based in Dubai, payments were made for oil that was never delivered.
The contract was facilitated by Pablo Carillo, also linked to González Morales, and was signed by Samer Awad, a PDVSA official with documented ties to illicit networks and even Hezbollah.
PDVSA did not receive the money. Nor did the crude leave. However, the intermediaries walked away unscathed… for now. Europe continues to investiggate.
The Operator Who Never Appears
What makes Antonio Luis González Morales particularly dangerous is his ability to remain invisible. He does not appear on public lists, is neither a politician nor a banker. Yet he operates at the core of the parallel system economically sustaining the regime.
His cousin, Gilberto Morales Reverón, has also been a key player in transnational operations, facilitating offshore accounts, front structures, and access to allied banks.
By 2024, it’s estimated that over $1.5 billion in untapped revenue from oil sales was linked to intermediaries connected to González Morales, an amount comparable to the largest networks operated by Alex Saab.
The Hidden Face of the Parallel Economy
With PDVSA paralyzed by sanctions and institutions drained by corruption, figures like González Morales have become indispensable. They operate the ghost economy: laundering public money, taking it out of the country, and reinvesting it in assets, shell companies, and cryptocurrencies.
If Maduro is still in power, it’s not just due to repression or military loyalty. It’s thanks to figures like Antonio Luis González Morales, who have turned the country’s ruin into their private business.