Alex Saab, a close ally of Nicolás Maduro, the ousted president of Venezuela, pleaded guilty to money laundering in a U.S. court on Tuesday. This crime is related to a bribery scheme that involves securing lucrative public contracts in Venezuela. As part of the plea agreement, Saab has agreed to cooperate with ongoing federal investigations in the United States and to forfeit $195 million (approximately €168.9 million) derived from this corruption scheme.
Plea Details and Consequences
Saab, 54, was deported to the United States in May, an action taken by interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez. U.S. authorities have been investigating Saab for over a decade. The money laundering charge Saab faces carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. However, prosecutors have agreed to recommend a sentence at the lower end of the guideline range and seek further reductions if his cooperation is deemed useful, including assistance in investigations related to four other unnamed defendants.
Saab's Background and Relationship with Maduro
Saab was arrested in 2020 and was pardoned by Joe Biden, the President of the United States, in 2023. This pardon was part of a deal for the release of several American citizens imprisoned in Venezuela. This agreement was part of Biden's unsuccessful efforts to persuade Maduro to hold free presidential elections. The decision was heavily criticized by Republicans and senior federal law enforcement officials, who immediately launched new investigations into Saab for other alleged offenses not covered by the pardon.
U.S. officials have long described Saab as Maduro's "money man," a term referring to someone responsible for moving or managing money on behalf of another. He may now testify as a witness regarding the character of the former Venezuelan president, who is himself awaiting trial on drug-related charges in Manhattan and was arrested in January during a U.S. military operation.
New legal cases against Saab and Maduro emerge amid changing U.S. relations with Venezuela and a focus on exploiting the country's vast oil reserves. This month, Donald Trump announced that he has formed a partnership with Alexandro Betancourt, a Venezuelan oil trader, under which the U.S. government will secure a share of crude oil at cost from fields that have the potential to produce 65 billion barrels.
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