Alex Saab and Nicolas Maduro
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Alex Saab, an alleged financial front man for Nicolás Maduro, was reportedly captured in Caracas as part of a joint operation involving Venezuelan authorities and U.S. officials, including the FBI, according to multiple international media reports. His lawyer, however, has denied that any arrest took place.
Reuters reported that a U.S. official said the Colombian businessman was detained on Wednesday in an operation coordinated between Washington and Caracas and could face extradition to the United States. However, France 24 correspondent Daniela Zambrano said sources at Venezuela's prosecutor's office indicated that no national authority had formally confirmed the detention.
Saab's lawyer, Luigi Giuliano, rejected the reports when speaking to Colombia's El Espectador, adding that the claim was "fake news" and that his client could appear publicly to clarify the situation after consulting with government officials.
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Colombia's NTN24 in the meantime reported that sources at Colombia's embassy in Venezuela said Saab was detained at his Caracas residence around 2:30 a.m. and that FBI personnel were present during the operation, allegedly for extradition purposes. NTN24 and Reuters both reported that businessman Raúl Gorrín was also said to have been detained.
The New York Times, citing five Venezuelans and one U.S. official familiar with the matter, reported that Venezuelan security agents questioned Saab and Gorrín and that U.S. law enforcement agencies had knowledge of the actions. The outlet, however, said the men's status remained unclear. A representative for Gorrín told the Times he was free as of Wednesday evening, while Giuliano again denied Saab had been detained.
U.S. authorities previously charged Saab with money laundering related to a scheme prosecutors said involved contracts and payments connected to the Maduro government. He was arrested in Cabo Verde in June 2020 during a refueling stop and was extradited to the United States in October 2021. Saab spent roughly two years in U.S. custody before being released and returned to Venezuela in late 2023 as part of a prisoner exchange involving detained Americans.
U.S. government agencies did not immediately comment on the new reports, according to the cited outlets.
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Tags: Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela, FBI
