Fugitive wanted for allegedly bribing Venezuelan officials taken in U.S. custody

Alvaro Pulido, a businessman wanted by the U.S. for alleged bribery of Venezuelan officials, has been apprehended. In 2019 and again in 2021, Pulido was indicted in Miami federal court as part of an investigation involving his business partner, Alex Saab, a former ally of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and State Department offered a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to Pulido's arrest.

Pulido was taken into custody by the DEA, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations agencies, according to Nicole Navas Oxman, a spokesperson for the Homeland Security Task Force. Oxman did not disclose how Pulido arrived in U.S. custody, but stated that he will make his initial court appearance in Miami on Tuesday. Venezuelan authorities have remained silent about the arrest.

Pulido was arrested in Venezuela in 2023 as part of a corruption crackdown led by then-Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who is currently acting president following Maduro's ouster in January. Prosecutors allege that Pulido and Saab established an offshore shell company network to funnel bribes to Maduro's allies in exchange for contracts to import food, medicine, and low-cost housing during a period of widespread hardship in Venezuela.

Saab, a Colombian national, was deported to the U.S. by Rodríguez in May and pleaded guilty last month to bribery charges, agreeing to cooperate against Maduro and others and forfeit $195 million in criminal proceeds from the corruption scheme.