USAID OIG initiated an investigation into an allegation that a Venezuelan organization implementing two United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) projects in 2021 and 2022, valued at $900,000, engaged in fraud resulting in
approximately $393,000 in loss of funds for programming in Venezuela. During the investigation, USAID OIG sought additional information from OCHA and the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) to independently assess the allegation and pursue potential investigative leads.
Despite repeated formal and informal requests, USAID OIG did not receive information and records necessary to identify subjects and develop additional investigative leads to support its investigation. OIOS maintained that withholding the identifying information of the individuals implicated was necessary to protect their due process rights and that, under its established framework, it was not authorized to provide USAID OIG with the requested information. OCHA similarly maintained that it was not authorized to provide the requested records or information.
Without the information necessary to pursue additional investigative leads, USAID OIG could not continue its investigation or determine whether criminal, civil, or administrative action was warranted. USAID OIG therefore determined that the investigation could not proceed.
Of note, USAID OIG learned that OIOS did refer findings of criminality in this case to the Maduro-led Venezuelan government sometime before June 2025, despite longstanding international concerns regarding the independence of Venezuela’s judiciary. OIOS did so while declining to provide USAID OIG with identifying information, citing process concerns.
USAID OIG, a statutorily independent law enforcement agency, continues to investigate fraud, corruption, diversion, and other misconduct impacting U.S.-funded foreign assistance programs and operations across multiple agencies. Please report any alleged misuse of U.S. taxpayer dollars impacting American foreign assistance to the OIG Hotline through https://oig.usaid.gov/report-fraud.
For more on USAID OIG’s investigative activities, please visit https://oig.usaid.gov/our-work/investigations.