Six oil executives from Citgo, including Alirio Zambrano of Corpus Christi, were found guilty of corruption charges on Friday. Five were sentenced to a little more than eight years in prison, including Zambrano for eight years and ten months.
The men were arrested a little more than three years ago after they were lured to Venezuela for a business meeting.
The men's families, along with U.S. officials, insist the men are innocent. Zambrano's family says the six were victims of judicial terrorism.
His daughter, Gabriella Zambrano, spoke with KRIS 6 News earlier Friday.
"All we can do is continue to do our best to tell the world that this is a complete injustice to the highest level. It's awful, but we had three years to try to be strong and endure this situation. We believe it's our duty to keep being as strong as possible and never give up."
Citgo released a statement last night saying in part they were distressed about the outcome of the trial, adding that the company hopes for a resolution that will lead to the men's prompt release.
