Alex Saab, a close ally of the Venezuelan government under Nicolás Maduro, was expelled to the United States on Saturday, Venezuelan authorities announced in a statement, five months after the ousting of the former president by the US military.
“Venezuela informs about the expulsion of Colombian citizen Alex Naim Saab Moran, carried out on May 16, 2026. The expulsion measure was adopted taking into account the fact that said Colombian citizen is involved in various crimes in the United States of America, as is public, notorious, and widely reported by the media,” according to the statement from the Venezuelan immigration authorities (Saime).
Alex Saab had become close to the Venezuelan government during the final years of Hugo Chávez’s mandate (1999-2013) and had come to manage a vast import network for Nicolás Maduro’s government. He was considered a key intermediary of the regime as the country tried to adapt to international sanctions.
He was particularly responsible for importing products destined for the subsidized food sales program known as Clap, which has been marred by corruption allegations.
While extradition of a Venezuelan citizen is constitutionally forbidden, the immigration authority considered Mr. Saab to be Colombian and proceeded with an “expulsion” to the United States where he was wanted.
Mr. Saab was arrested during a layover in Cape Verde in 2020 and extradited to the United States in 2021, where he was accused of embezzlement of food aid and money laundering for Mr. Maduro.
He had been exchanged in December 2023 for ten Americans imprisoned in Venezuela, a swap that Mr. Maduro, captured on January 3 by the US military, had hailed as a “triumph.”
Mr. Saab had been welcomed back with pomp and ceremony, and was even appointed as a minister.
In early February, media reported Alex Saab’s arrest at the FBI’s request, while a source close to the regime had stated that he was “in his house,” without providing further details.
Delcy Rodríguez, former vice president of Nicolás Maduro, took over the reins of power after his capture and had Saab removed from the government, also dismissing his Italian wife Camila Fabri from her positions.
She also ousted several close associates of Nicolás Maduro from positions of power.
Under pressure from Washington, she made numerous changes, including passing an amnesty law to release political prisoners and reforming the oil sector to open it to private investment.
AFP
