US, Venezuela conduct joint operation to arrest Maduro ally Alex Saab

Venezuelan official Alex Saab, a Colombian-Venezuelan businessman and close ally of former President Nicolás Maduro, was arrested in Venezuela on Wednesday in a joint operation involving US and Venezuelan authorities, a US law enforcement official confirmed.

Saab, 54, was famously detained in Cape Verde in 2020 and subsequently held in the United States for over three years on bribery charges. He was granted clemency in 2023 in exchange for the release of Americans held in Venezuela, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

His latest detention marks a significant turn of events just a month after Maduro’s capture by US forces in Caracas, indicating increased coordination between US and Venezuelan law enforcement under interim President Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former deputy. 

Saab is expected to be extradited to the United States in the coming days, according to the official.

Raul Gorrin, head of Venezuela’s Globovision TV network, was also detained during the operation. The Venezuelan communications ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and it remains unclear whether Saab or Gorrin currently have legal representation.

Prior to his 2023 clemency, US authorities had accused Saab of funnelling approximately $350 million out of Venezuela through a bribery scheme tied to the state-controlled exchange rate. 

Saab denied the charges and sought to have them dismissed, claiming diplomatic immunity. His appeal had not been resolved when the prisoner swap occurred.

Following his return to Venezuela at the end of 2023, Saab was celebrated by Maduro as a loyal supporter of the socialist revolution and hailed as a national hero. He was appointed industry minister, a position he held until his removal by Rodríguez last month.

By Jeyhun Aghazada