Colombian businessman Alex Saab, a key financier of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, has been deported to the United States for the second time, signaling a striking new era of law enforcement cooperation between Washington and Caracas, analysts say.
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Venezuelan authorities confirmed on Saturday that Saab, 54, had been deported to the US citing his alleged involvement in criminal activities on US soil. The move comes weeks after Maduro himself was captured and flown to New York to face narco-terrorist conspiracy charges, raising questions about how far Venezuela’s interim leadership is distancing itself from the former administration.
From Hugo Chavez’s Inner Circle to Maduro’s Import Czar
Saab is a Colombian-born businessman who cultivated close ties to the Venezuelan government during the final years of Hugo Chávez’s presidency, which ran from 1999 to 2013. He subsequently became the architect of a vast import network that supported the Maduro administration, making him one of the most consistent figures in Venezuela’s opaque state economy.
His importance to US federal prosecutors lies not only in his own alleged crimes, but in what he potentially knows. Sources familiar with the matter say Saab could provide US authorities with information that will materially strengthen the criminal case against Maduro.
Cape Verde Arrest, US Extradition, Prisoner Swap: Saab’s Transnational Legal Journey
Saab’s legal troubles have played out in many jurisdictions over the course of half a decade. He was first detained in Cape Verde in 2020 on money laundering and corruption charges before being extradited to the United States the following year. He was subsequently released in 2023 as part of a prisoner swap negotiated with Caracas, a deal that granted him clemency in exchange for the freedom of American detainees in Venezuela.
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After his release, Maduro appointed Saab to his cabinet, elevating him to the role of Minister of Industry. This appointment was short-lived. After US special forces captured Maduro in Caracas last January, acting President Delcy Rodriguez, formerly Maduro’s vice president, stripped Saab of all government posts.
Why Venezuela called Saab Colombian to circumvent its own constitution
The deportation presented a legal complication: the Venezuelan constitution technically prohibits the extradition of its own citizens. Authorities resolved the issue by classifying Saab as a Colombian national rather than Venezuelan, allowing the country’s migration agency, SAIME, to order him “deported” rather than extradited.
In a formal statement, SAIME said the decision was taken on the basis that Saab “is involved in the commission of various crimes in the United States of America, as is public, well known and reported”.
The joint US-Venezuelan raids signal a dramatic departure from the Maduro era
Saab’s arrest in Caracas in February was remarkable in itself. According to a US law enforcement official, it was carried out through a joint operation involving US and Venezuelan authorities, representing an unprecedented level of bilateral cooperation that would have been unthinkable under Maduro’s rule.
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The arrest came about a month after Maduro’s own detention. Together, these two events suggest that the Rodriguez interim administration is actively facilitating Washington’s long-term pursuit of senior officials of the previous administration.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were flown to New York in January to face criminal charges that included conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism. Both deny the accusations.
Could Saab be the star witness against Maduro in New York?
Saab’s significance to US prosecutors may extend far beyond its own allegations of bribery and money laundering. Sources familiar with the matter say he could provide federal authorities with testimony and documentation that will significantly strengthen the narco-terrorism case against Maduro. As the man who for years ran Venezuela’s state import apparatus, few figures are better placed to speak about the inner workings of Maduro’s government.
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Saab and his wife lived in Italy for several years before his return to Venezuela. Luigi Giuliano, the lawyer who represented him in Italy, said on Saturday that he was not involved in Saab’s US cases and could not confirm the deportation. A separate lawyer for Saab did not respond to a request for comment before publication.
