Venezuelan attorney general asks court to freeze assets of 2 jailed in Miami

Venezuela's attorney general said Monday she is seeking to freeze the assets of two Venezuelans jailed in the U.S. in a case involving the seizure of a cash-filled suitcase. Attorney General Luisa Ortega Diaz said her office has asked a Venezuelan court to seize property and accounts belonging to Moises Maionica and Carlos Kauffman. The two are wanted in Venezuela for alleged corruption. They also have been accused in Miami of acting illegally as Venezuelan agents in an alleged scheme to cover up the source of US$800,000 seized in a suitcase in Argentina last year. Maionica has testified that the Venezuelan government hired him to ensure that the businessman who was carrying the suitcase did not reveal the money's origin or destination. U.S. prosecutors say the money was from Venezuela's state oil company and was intended for the campaign of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez. Both Fernandez and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez deny the allegation.