The United States government has formally arraigned Alex Saab, a close ally of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, on multiple money laundering and bribery allegations tied to massive corruption schemes involving food and oil contracts.
Saab, a Colombian-Venezuelan businessman widely described by U.S. prosecutors as one of Maduro’s key financial operatives, appeared before a federal court in Miami after being deported from Venezuela to face criminal proceedings.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Saab allegedly used American financial institutions to launder hundreds of millions of dollars diverted from Venezuela’s social welfare and food assistance programmes intended for poor and vulnerable citizens.
Federal prosecutors accused Saab and his associates of creating shell companies and fraudulent documents to secure inflated government contracts linked to Venezuela’s controversial CLAP food distribution programme. Authorities allege the operation enabled the conspirators to siphon public funds while supplying overpriced and substandard food products to struggling Venezuelans.
Investigators also alleged that Saab played a major role in illicit oil transactions involving billions of dollars, with proceeds allegedly routed through U.S. bank accounts and offshore financial networks.
In a statement, the Justice Department said Saab “used American banks to launder hundreds of millions of dollars stolen from a Venezuelan food program meant for the poor.”
Saab’s return to U.S. custody marks a dramatic turn in a long-running international legal battle. He was previously arrested in Cape Verde in 2020 on U.S. charges before being extradited to the United States in 2021. However, he was later released in 2023 as part of a prisoner exchange agreement between Washington and Caracas.
Recent developments in Venezuela’s political landscape reportedly led to Saab’s renewed detention and deportation to the United States. Reports suggest Venezuela’s interim leadership distanced itself from Saab amid broader anti-corruption investigations targeting figures associated with Maduro’s inner circle.
Legal analysts believe Saab could become a critical witness in ongoing U.S. investigations involving alleged corruption and criminal activities tied to the former Venezuelan administration. Meanwhile, Saab’s legal team has continued to deny wrongdoing, insisting previous accusations against him were politically motivated.
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