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Puerto Rico seeks 2 Venezuelan men in $8M fraud case

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Puerto Rico’s Justice Department has charged two Venezuelan men on suspicion of swindling a local asphalt company out of nearly $8 million.

Authorities said Monday that Francisco Javier Gonzalez Alvarez and Marcos Antonio Da Silva Castro were also wanted by authorities in other countries.

Officials said the two men arrived in Puerto Rico in March 2011. They are accused of falsely promising Betteroads Asphalt Corp. 100,000 barrels of liquid asphalt that they never delivered.

Gonzalez is currently detained in Venezuela and is wanted by Spain under similar fraud charges. Authorities said Da Silva remains a fugitive.

The U.S. territory hopes to eventually extradite both men.

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