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Venezuela Deports Maduro Ally Alex Saab to the U.S.

The deportation signals rare U.S.–Venezuela law-enforcement cooperation.

Overview

  • Venezuela’s migration agency said Saturday that Alex Saab was deported to the United States.
  • Officials labeled Saab a Colombian citizen to allow a deportation that bypasses Venezuela’s ban on extraditing its nationals.
  • Saab was arrested in Caracas in February in a reported joint operation by U.S. and Venezuelan authorities, reflecting closer ties under acting president Delcy Rodríguez.
  • U.S. prosecutors are probing alleged bribery and money laundering tied to the CLAP subsidized food program, with reports citing about $350 million in transfers.
  • Saab could provide information useful to U.S. cases against Nicolás Maduro, who faces federal charges in New York, according to multiple reports.