Alex Saab, a 54-year-old Colombian businessman and ally of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, was reportedly deported after his February arrest in a joint U.S.-Venezuelan operation, The Associated Press reported.
The development comes less than three years after former President Joe Biden pardoned and released Saab in a controversial 2023 prisoner swap, the AP said.
The AP reported that after Maduro’s capture in a January U.S. military raid, Delcy Rodríguez stripped Saab of a cabinet post and his role as a conduit for foreign investment. If returned to U.S. custody, Saab could become a key witness against Maduro, who is awaiting trial on drug charges in Manhattan, the AP said.
Court hearings previously showed that Saab held secret meetings with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for years and helped identify corruption within Maduro’s circle, the AP reported. U.S. officials earlier described Saab as Maduro’s “bag man,” and said he was detained in 2020 on bribery charges amid allegations he siphoned $350 million out of Venezuela, the AP said.
The Venezuelan immigration authority confirmed a “Colombian citizen” was being sent away because of U.S. criminal investigations but declined to name a destination, the AP reported. The U.S. Department of Justice and Saab’s lawyer, Neil Schuster, did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital, which contributed reporting to the story along with the AP, Fox News Digital said.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
