Venezuela has deported Alex Saab, a former Venezuelan government official and ally of President Nicolás Maduro, to the United States to face federal charges. Saab, 55, appeared Monday in a Miami court, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
The Justice Department alleges Saab led a multi-year scheme starting around 2015 to defraud Venezuela’s humanitarian food program and launder proceeds from illegal oil sales. Prosecutors say Saab used U.S. bank accounts to conceal hundreds of millions of dollars stolen from the Venezuelan program and illicit oil profits.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva said Saab allegedly used American banks to launder stolen funds. He added that the U.S. will not allow foreign actors to exploit the financial system for corruption.
Prosecutors allege Saab paid bribes to Venezuelan officials to secure contracts related to the CLAP food program. Instead of distributing food, the scheme allegedly involved shell companies, fraudulent invoices, and falsified shipping records to embezzle hundreds of millions of dollars.
The indictment also accuses Saab and his associates of exploiting Venezuela’s oil industry amid U.S. sanctions. They allegedly sold state oil under false pretenses and used the profits to fund their schemes, laundering the money through U.S. banks to evade detection.
Saab was previously indicted in 2019 and extradited from Cabo Verde in 2021. President Joe Biden pardoned him in 2023 as part of a prisoner swap, but officials say the new charges involve conduct not covered by that pardon. Saab faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The case was investigated by a U.S. Homeland Security Task Force, including the DEA, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations.
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
