Venezuelan official Alex Saab was reportedly arrested in a joint U.S.-Venezuela operation, although his lawyer denies the report as “fake news.”
Alex Saab, a Venezuelan official and close ally of former President Nicolás Maduro, was reportedly arrested in Venezuela on Wednesday during a joint operation involving U.S. and Venezuelan authorities, according to a U.S. law enforcement official.
Saab, 54, who previously faced charges in the U.S., is expected to be extradited to the United States in the coming days, the official told Reuters. However, Saab’s lawyer, Luigi Giuliano, dismissed the arrest as “fake news” in comments to the Colombian newspaper El Espectador.
In a statement to the Venezuelan news site TalCual, Giuliano indicated that Saab might address the allegations personally but was currently in consultation with the government regarding the situation. Meanwhile, journalists associated with the Venezuelan government also took to social media to deny the reports of Saab’s arrest.
Jorge Rodríguez, Venezuela’s top lawmaker, refrained from confirming or denying the reports during a press conference, stating that he had no information about Saab’s possible arrest.
This development follows a recent U.S. operation aimed at targeting Venezuela and arresting Maduro, alongside the Trump administration’s actions to seize oil tankers linked to the country. Saab’s arrest could signal a new level of cooperation between U.S. and Venezuelan authorities under interim President Delcy Rodríguez, who previously served as Maduro’s deputy and currently oversees Venezuela’s law enforcement agencies.
The U.S. official emphasized the importance of Rodríguez’s collaboration in this joint operation. Additionally, Raul Gorrin, the head of Venezuela’s Globovision TV network, was also reported to have been arrested during the operation.
Saab, originally from Colombia, was detained in Cape Verde in 2020 and spent over three years in U.S. custody on bribery charges. He was granted clemency in exchange for the release of American detainees held in Venezuela. Prior to his clemency, U.S. officials accused Saab of siphoning approximately $350 million out of Venezuela through a bribery scheme linked to the country’s state-controlled exchange rate.
Saab has consistently denied these allegations and sought to have the charges dismissed, claiming diplomatic immunity. However, an appeals court had not ruled on his appeal by the time the prisoner swap occurred.
Upon his return to Venezuela at the end of 2023, Maduro praised Saab for his loyalty to the socialist revolution and referred to him as a national hero. Following the arrest of the country’s former leader, Saab was appointed as industry minister, a role he held until last month when he was dismissed by Rodríguez.
This situation continues to unfold, and further developments are anticipated as both U.S. and Venezuelan authorities navigate the complexities of their relationship.
According to Reuters, the implications of Saab’s arrest and the broader context of U.S.-Venezuelan relations remain significant.