MIAMI — A former business associate of Venezuelan leadership faced federal charges in Miami court Monday, accused of laundering money through an alleged bribery operation involving government officials.
Alex Saab appeared before a federal judge following his weekend deportation by acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who has been removing insider businesspeople suspected of corrupt activities with the previous administration.
Wearing shackles and prison clothing, the defendant responded “Yes, ma’am,” in English when informed of the single money laundering charge connected to an undisclosed bribery operation. Court documents were unsealed during the proceeding but remain unavailable to the public.
The 54-year-old Saab faced previous federal charges in 2019 under the first Trump presidency and was detained in Cape Verde during a fuel stop while on what Venezuelan officials called an important humanitarian trip to Iran.
President Joe Biden granted him a pardon in 2023 as part of a prisoner exchange that freed multiple detained Americans in Venezuela and returned a fleeing foreign defense contractor. The agreement, which was part of an unsuccessful Biden administration attempt to encourage free elections, drew sharp criticism from Republicans and federal investigators, who continued pursuing Saab for additional alleged crimes outside the limited pardon scope.
Federal authorities have historically characterized Saab as the former leader’s “bag man” and may seek his testimony against his previous associate, who faces drug trafficking charges in Manhattan following his January capture during a U.S. military operation.
This latest prosecution unfolds as the Trump administration works to reshape Venezuelan relations.
Trump and top officials have praised Rodríguez, who has opened Venezuela’s petroleum sector to American investment during rising oil costs linked to Iranian conflict. In return, the White House has reduced election pressure, despite constitutional requirements for voting within 30 days of a president becoming “permanently unavailable.”
However, Rodríguez confronts significant internal opposition from the ruling socialist party’s more radical elements, including figures like Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, who maintains substantial security force influence and faces his own U.S. criminal charges.
Mario Silva, who previously hosted pro-government programming on state television before his removal following the former president’s capture, challenged Saab’s deportation legality, citing constitutional extradition prohibitions.
“The imperialists don’t negotiate. They conquer, test and probe — until our country shatters,” Silva stated during a Sunday social media livestream. “Nobody is safe right now.”
Silva noted that Venezuela’s previous efforts to secure Saab’s freedom exceeded actions taken for the former president and former First Lady Cilia Flores.
Possibly expecting criticism, Venezuela’s immigration department Saturday described Saab only as a “Colombian citizen who is implicated in committing several crimes in the United States of America, a fact that is widely known, notorious, and heavily documented in the media.”
Rodríguez’s current silence contrasts sharply with her previous support during Venezuela’s international campaign for his release from U.S. custody. She previously called him an “innocent Venezuelan diplomat” who was illegally “kidnapped” during a humanitarian mission to Iran to bypass the “immoral, imperial blockade” imposed by the United States.
While consolidating power, Rodríguez has separated herself from Saab, removing him from her Cabinet and eliminating his position as primary liaison for foreign companies seeking Venezuelan investments.
Saab built wealth through Venezuelan government deals. His 2019 charges involved a low-income housing contract that was never completed.
The Associated Press previously reported his investigation connection to another Justice Department case against Saab’s business partner, Alvaro Pulido, regarding the CLAP program established to provide basic foods — rice, corn flour, cooking oil — to impoverished Venezuelans during severe hyperinflation and currency collapse.
The 2021 indictment identified Saab as “Co-Conspirator 1” and alleged he helped create shell companies to bribe a pro-government governor who granted the partners an overpriced Mexican food box import contract.
Saab previously met secretly with the Drug Enforcement Administration before his initial arrest and, during a private 2022 court session, his attorneys disclosed his years-long cooperation helping the DEA investigate corruption within the former administration’s inner circle. Through this cooperation, he surrendered over $12 million in illegal profits from corrupt business activities.
