Colombian businessman Alex Saab has been deported from Venezuela to the United States, where he faces money laundering charges related to his alleged role as a financial intermediary for President Nicolas Maduro's government. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez confirmed the deportation, stating that Saab was handed over due to ongoing U.S. criminal investigations.
Saab, 54, was previously released from U.S. custody in 2023 as part of a prisoner exchange that secured the freedom of several American detainees held in Venezuela. His return to U.S. jurisdiction represents a significant reversal and suggests increased cooperation between Washington and Caracas on criminal matters.
U.S. prosecutors allege Saab laundered hundreds of millions of dollars through a network of shell companies on behalf of the Maduro government, diverting funds from a state housing program. He was originally arrested in Cape Verde in 2020 during a fuel stop and extradited to the U.S. in 2021 before his release in the prisoner swap.
The deportation raises significant questions about the evolving relationship between the United States and Venezuela. Saab is considered a potential key witness who could provide testimony about financial operations within Maduro's inner circle, making his cooperation valuable to federal prosecutors.
Venezuelan authorities described the handover as a routine deportation of a Colombian citizen, avoiding language that would characterize it as cooperation with U.S. law enforcement. The case is expected to proceed in a federal court in Miami, where the original charges were filed.