Maduro ally Alex Saab expected to plead guilty in federal money laundering case
Charged with a single count of money laundering tied to an alleged conspiracy to create fake companies and falsify shipping records, Saab is scheduled to appear before Judge in Miami on Tuesday for a change of plea hearing, according to court records.
Maduro ally Alex Saab is set to plead guilty in a federal money laundering case, according to court records. Saab, who is a close associate of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, allegedly bribed officials to secure lucrative contracts for importing food to Venezuela during a period of widespread hardship. Deported to Colombia in May due to pressure from the US, Saab faces charges for allegedly creating fake companies, falsifying shipping records, and skimming from government contracts to import food from Colombia and Mexico.
The indictment accuses Saab of expanding his influence deep within the Maduro government, accessing billions of dollars in oil sales from state-owned PDVSA. The new indictment also accuses Saab and others of setting up a network of companies to bribe top Venezuelan officials controlling contracts for the CLAP program, which provided basic necessities to impoverished Venezuelans.
Saab was previously charged in 2019 under the Trump administration and was arrested during a refueling stop in Cape Verde, but was later pardoned by President Joe Biden in 2023 in exchange for releasing American detainees in Venezuela. Despite his pardon, federal investigators continued to pursue other alleged crimes against Saab.
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