Federal Prosecutors Open New Criminal Probe Into Former Venezuelan Leader

Federal prosecutors in Miami opened a new criminal investigation targeting detained former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. The order came from senior Justice Department leaders after Maduro was already in custody on separate charges filed in New York.

The new probe was formally opened around March. Michael Berger, a Miami-based prosecutor who specializes in international criminal cases, was assigned to oversee the effort along with agents from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and IRS Criminal Investigation.

Maduro and his wife were captured by U.S. forces on Venezuelan soil in early January and transported to New York City. They face narco-trafficking and firearms charges in a superseding indictment dating to 2020. Both have pleaded not guilty. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment. An attorney for Maduro also declined to comment on the new investigation.

Saab, a close business associate of Maduro who served as Venezuela's minister of industry and national production, was deported to the U.S. and indicted for his alleged role in a money-laundering conspiracy scheme involving a Venezuelan public welfare food program.

The indictment made public on Monday charges him with money laundering involving the CLAP food program. Saab served two years in a U.S. prison on money-laundering charges after he was extradited from Cape Verde. The alleged crimes now extend through January, and he is charged with a single count.

The other defendants' names are redacted. Federal prosecutors have shown significant interest in Saab's activities because they believe he controls some of Maduro's money. Agents and prosecutors in South Florida have long tried to link Venezuelan leaders to financial crimes in the U.S., but those efforts have proven elusive because of the challenges tracing accounts and money flows directly to them.