Alex Saab, a close ally of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, has been deported to the United States, the Venezuelan migration agency SAIME announced Saturday. This decision marks a major new stage in the complex relationship between Washington and Caracas.
The 54-year-old Colombian-Venezuelan businessman was arrested in Caracas last February in a joint operation conducted by US and Venezuelan authorities, according to US law enforcement officials. His arrest came a month after Nicolás Maduro was captured by US special forces in the Venezuelan capital.
The expulsion of Alex Saab is interpreted as a sign of strengthening cooperation between the security services of the two countries under the interim presidency of Delcy Rodríguez, former vice-president of Maduro.
Alex Saab had already been arrested in Cape Verde in 2020 before being extradited to the United States on corruption and money laundering charges. He ultimately received a presidential pardon in 2023 as part of a prisoner exchange that secured the release of American citizens detained in Venezuela.
According to several sources close to the case, US authorities now hope to obtain information from Saab that could strengthen their legal case against Nicolás Maduro. The former Venezuelan leader and his wife, Cilia Flores, were transferred to New York in January to face charges including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism. They strongly deny these accusations.
Long considered one of the most influential men in Maduro's inner circle, Alex Saab was suspected by Washington of having played a central role in several financial operations of the Venezuelan government. His return to US custody could now open a new and explosive legal chapter surrounding the former Chavista regime.
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