3 months ago
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Venezuelan authoritative Alex Saab, a Colombian-Venezuelan erstwhile businessman once held successful the U.S., was arrested successful Venezuela connected Wednesday (February 4, 2026) as portion of a associated cognition betwixt U.S. and Venezuelan authorities, a U.S. instrumentality enforcement authoritative said.
Saab, a close state of President Nicolas Maduro, was cinematically detained successful Cape Verde successful 2020 and held successful the U.S. for much than 3 years connected bribery charges, earlier being granted clemency successful speech for the merchandise of Americans held successful Venezuela.
His latest detention represents a melodramatic crook successful luck a period after Mr. Maduro himself was captured by U.S. forces in Caracas, and suggests a caller level of collaboration betwixt U.S. and Venezuelan instrumentality enforcement nether the authorities of interim President Delcy Rodriguez, Mr. Maduro’s erstwhile deputy.
Saab, 54, is expected to beryllium extradited to the U.S. successful the coming days, the U.S. authoritative said.
The authoritative noted the value of Ms. Rodriguez’s practice successful the associated operation. As interim leader, Ms. Rodriguez controls Venezuela’s instrumentality enforcement agencies and actions.
Raul Gorrin, the caput of Venezuela’s Globovision TV network, was besides arrested successful the operation, according to the official.
Journalists aligned with Venezuela’s authorities denied that Saab had been arrested successful posts connected societal media connected Wednesday (February 4, 2026) afternoon, aft reports of his detention archetypal surfaced successful Colombian media.
The Venezuelan communications ministry did not instantly respond to a petition for remark and it was not instantly imaginable to ascertain whether Saab oregon Gorrin person ineligible representation.
Before his 2023 clemency, U.S. officials had charged Saab with siphoning astir $350 cardinal retired of Venezuela done the U.S. arsenic portion of a bribery strategy linked to Venezuela’s state-controlled speech rate.
Saab denied the charges and appealed to person them dismissed connected grounds of diplomatic immunity. An appeals tribunal had not ruled connected Saab’s entreaty astatine the clip of the captive swap.
He returned with fanfare to Venezuela astatine the extremity of 2023, wherever Mr. Maduro lauded his loyalty to the country’s socialist gyration and feted him arsenic a nationalist hero.
Mr. Maduro aboriginal made Saab manufacture minister, a presumption helium held until past month, erstwhile helium was removed by Ms. Rodriguez.
