Venezuela Officials in Talks to Send Detained Maduro Ally to US

(Bloomberg) -- The Trump administration is working with Venezuela’s interim government to bring a key ally of ousted leader Nicolás Maduro to the US to face prosecution on charges that could include money laundering, according to people familiar with the matter.

Alex Saab, a naturalized Venezuelan citizen originally from Colombia, was detained early in February shortly after being removed from office as industry minister. The government hasn’t disclosed charges against him. People with knowledge of the situation said he has been held at least part of the time since at Caracas’ El Helicoide prison, infamous for its harsh conditions. 

In Miami, prosecutors have obtained a new grand jury indictment against Saab in preparation for a potential handover, some of the people said. While the details are unclear, Saab has previously been investigated for his handling of proceeds of a Venezuelan government food-for-oil program. 

An attorney for Saab declined to comment.

Whether or not he’s brought to the US, officials there want Saab’s testimony to help build their case against Maduro, who is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York. Maduro is facing multiple federal criminal charges, including including conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism and to import cocaine into the US. He has maintained his innocence.

US prosecutors view Saab as a central figure in the financial networks that sustained Maduro’s government, where he was a cabinet-level official until the president’s capture. Sending him to the US would represent the most significant legal cooperation between Caracas and Washington since Maduro’s capture in January and could open a new front in corruption cases tied to the former administration.

Saab’s detention follows other moves by acting President Delcy Rodríguez to comply with US demands. Beyond Saab, Washington is seeking the handover of dozens of financiers, officials and military personnel facing US charges, said some of the people, who declined to be identified since the talks are confidential. 

Saab was previously extradited to the US in 2021 following his arrest in Cape Verde and indicted on money-laundering charges. Then-President Joe Biden pardoned him in a 2023 prisoner swap.

Before Maduro’s ouster, Saab served as industry minister. Rodríguez removed him from the post less than two weeks after taking power. His wife, Camilla Fabri, was also recently ousted as head of the government’s repatriation program. Some of the people said Fabri has been delivering meals to her husband in prison. Fabri couldn’t immediately be reached for comment through an intermediary.

Since assuming the presidency, Rodríguez has kept a fragile balance among the factions of Chavismo, the regime that has governed Venezuela for almost three decades. The arrests of Saab, media mogul Raúl Gorrín and former official Alexander “Mimou” Vargas have already rattled the movement. Some figures, fearing they are next, have gone into hiding or are trying to negotiate with US officials. Sending Saab to the US would likely prompt others to flee the country, the people said. 

The Venezuelan Information Ministry didn’t respond to requests for comment. The US Justice Department declined to comment.

US officials have held talks with Saab in Caracas, pressing him to disclose the location of Maduro’s assets, one of the people said.

To facilitate a possible handover, the interim government is exploring ways to annul Saab’s Venezuelan citizenship, likely by alleging irregularities in how it was granted, some of the people said. Venezuela’s constitution forbids the extradition of its own citizens.

It remains unclear how the process would unfold for other Venezuelans the US is seeking, including former Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami, who has been under arrest since April 2024 on charges of treason and money laundering. Attempts to locate an attorney for El Aissami weren’t immediately successful.

--With assistance from Michael Smith and Eric Martin.

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