Overview
- Colombian outlet Caracol Radio, citing U.S. intelligence sources, reported Saab was seized around 2:00–2:30 a.m. on Feb. 4 and placed in SEBIN custody pending decisions about a transfer to the United States.
- Several outlets also reported the detention of businessman Raúl Gorrín in the same sweep, with both men said to have been taken to El Helicoide after arrests in Caracas’s Cerro Verde district.
- Venezuelan authorities and the U.S. Justice Department have not confirmed the arrests, while a lawyer and pro‑government commentators denied Saab was detained and a top lawmaker said he had no information.
- Saab was arrested in Cabo Verde in 2020, extradited to the U.S. in 2021, freed in a 2023 prisoner swap, and saw his U.S. case dismissed in 2024, according to prior court records cited by media.
- Any new extradition effort remains unclear, as reporters note no public legal filings and highlight that Saab was ousted from the Industry Ministry in January during a government reshuffle.