Alex Saab, 54, a former Industry Minister and a key advisor to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, has been deported to the United States, according to a statement from the Venezuelan immigration agency.
As reported by Reuters on the 16th, Saab, a businessman originally from Colombia, is seen as a central individual who developed tactics to bypass U.S. restrictions on Venezuela under the Maduro government. He is also accused of overseeing secret funds for the Maduro administration through food imports and a system of shell companies.
The extradition of Saab, who oversaw the Maduro government’s “funding network,” is seen as an indication of enhanced collaboration between U.S. and Venezuelan officials during the interim leadership of Delcy RodrÃguez. Saab was detained in the capital, Caracas, as part of a joint effort by U.S. and Venezuelan law enforcement agencies last February.
Earlier, Saab was detained in Cape Verde, Africa, in 2020, sent to the United States, and faced charges of money laundering and corruption. Nevertheless, in 2023, he was freed as part of an exchange with American prisoners held in Venezuela and went back to Caracas. Subsequently, he also became the Minister of Industry.
Nevertheless, following the U.S. arrest of President Maduro in January, his political influence quickly declined. Interim President RodrÃguez, who has kept friendly ties with the U.S., removed Saab from the center of power during a government restructuring.
U.S. investigative agencies are examining whether Saab holds crucial details about President Maduro’s financial transactions. Analysts believe that Saab’s extradition to the U.S. might serve as a factor in the ongoing legal proceedings against President Maduro in New York.
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