Venezuela Deports Alex Saab to U.S. for Second Time

Venezuelan immigration authorities deported Colombian businessman Alex Saab to the United States on Saturday, May 16. U.S. criminal investigations. The deportation occurred less than three years after former President Joe Biden pardoned Saab in a 2023 prisoner exchange. U.S. custody at that time.

Saab, 54, was first arrested in Cape Verde in 2020 on money laundering and corruption charges. He was extradited to the United States the following year. U.S. officials described Saab as a close ally of captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and alleged he served as a conduit for foreign investments. U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for years.

U.S. military raid, interim President Delcy Rodríguez removed Saab from his cabinet position. Rodríguez also dismissed Saab's wife, Camilla Fabri, from her post as deputy minister for international communication in February. Venezuelan immigration authorities determined Saab was a Colombian national and ordered his deportation to bypass constitutional restrictions on extraditing Venezuelan citizens.

The statement noted that Saab is involved in various crimes in the United States. U.S. officials have said Saab could become a key witness in the drug case against Maduro, who is awaiting trial in Manhattan. Saab still faces active federal investigations over alleged bribery conspiracies involving Venezuelan food import contracts.