An investigation of Brazilian meat packer JBS SA by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) is being called for by two members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Listing off several acquisitions that JBS has made of U.S. meatpackers and food companies, Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Bob Menendez, D-N.J., said in a letter to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin that JBS "engaged in bribery of public officials as a methodology to obtain funds that it then used for such acquisitions."
The two argued the actions of JBS "have implications for our national security and the security of the American food system." The letter also noted the fines and admissions by JBS officials of bribery are not the only concern point as the company is linked to Venezuela, including the Venezuelan Corporation of Foreign Trade (CORPOVEX) which has been cited for its involvement in "public corruption."
The linkage to the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and admissions that JBS used criminal conduct to secure loans used to finance U.S. investments are enough to warrant a review by CFIUS, the lawmakers said.
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