Venezuela Deports Alex Saab to US for Corruption Trial
In a dramatic reversal of fortune, Venezuela has deported Colombian businessman and former government minister Alex Saab to the United States. Saab, long considered a key financier and confidant to former President Nicolás Maduro, was handed over to U.S. authorities on Saturday to face a litany of federal charges.
A Sudden Fall from Power
The Venezuelan Administrative Service for Identification, Migration and Foreigners (SAIME) confirmed the deportation in a statement released Saturday night. Officials noted that the decision was based on Saab’s extensive involvement in “various crimes in the United States of America,” which they described as a matter of “public knowledge.”
Saab’s deportation marks the end of his influence within the Venezuelan government. Just months ago, in October 2024, he was appointed Minister of Industry and National Production. However, he was unceremoniously dismissed from the post in January by interim president Delcy Rodríguez, shortly after a U.S. operation in Caracas led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
From Diplomat to Defendant
The 54-year-old businessman has been at the center of a years-long international legal battle. Originally arrested in Cape Verde in 2020, he was extradited to the U.S. before being returned to Venezuela in December 2023 as part of a high-profile prisoner exchange under the Biden administration. Upon his return, Maduro hailed him as a national hero and appointed him to lead the International Center for Productive Investment.
U.S. prosecutors, however, have long maintained a different narrative. They allege that Saab served as a frontman for Maduro, amassing a fortune through illicit enrichment and corrupt government contracts involving food and housing programs. In January, following the capture of Maduro, U.S. prosecutors leveled new corruption charges against Saab.
The New Political Landscape
The move to deport Saab highlights a significant shift in Venezuela’s domestic policy under the leadership of Delcy Rodríguez. According to reports from the New York Times, the interim government detained Saab in early February at the specific request of Washington, signaling a new level of cooperation with U.S. law enforcement.
Saab now faces trial in the United States, where he will join his former patron, Maduro, who is currently being held in New York on drug trafficking charges.
Image: Pexels – Arturo Añez.
