Buddy @12: Financial Times is reporting the 134 bbl in US Treasury bonds are Mafia forgeries en route to Venezuela to be not redeemed but safely locked in a bank vault as collateral used to open lines of credit at the Venezuelan central bank.

Then there’s this report from the Tulsa World a couple days ago:

Rigs go idle as Venezuela delays payments -
The number of Helmerich & Payne rigs still working in Venezuela is down to three and could zero-out by autumn, officials with the Tulsa-based drilling company confirmed Wednesday. Helmerich & Payne Inc. has been allowing rig contracts to expire gradually as Venezuela’s state-run oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela SA, gets behind in payments for services. Eight of the 11 rigs in Venezuela are now idle, up from five on April 30. PDVSA has made “limited progress” in making payments, but the accounts are still more than $100 million behind, Helmerich & Payne stated in a presentation to investors Wednesday. ConocoPillips and some other companies have ceased operations in Venezuela over financial disputes in recent years, but Helmerich & Payne “will continue with previously stated approach in trying to work through issues,” said the online investors presentation.

Maybe the mysterious bonds suitcase is just an uncomplicated case of Hugo trying to get some bills paid, one way or another.