WASHINGTON could intervene in Venezuela’s arrest of six state petrol firm executives after it emerged they hold US passports.

Jose Angel Pereira and five vice-presidents were arrested on Tuesday, charged with making refinancing deals on the US subsidiary of state oil firm PDVSA on disadvantageous terms in return for kickbacks and selling oil ministry secrets to the US.

But two anonymous sources told the US Associated Press news agency that the men held dual citizenship, giving the US State Department the right to intervene on their behalf.