Trump admin quietly closes criminal probe into Venezuela businessman amid oil deal

CNN: In recent months, federal prosecutors in Miami closed the Betancourt investigation on orders from the office of then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, they were told, according to two people briefed on the matter. The move came as part of an effort by Trump White House officials and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to enlist Betancourt to engineer a massive new oil deal with Venezuela’s government, the people briefed on the matter said…