U.S. Official Confirms Arrest of Alex Saab, Maduro's Associate
A U.S. official has confirmed the arrest of Alex Saab, a Venezuelan official and former close associate of President Nicolás Maduro, inside Venezuela. This operation was conducted in collaboration with Venezuelan authorities and is considered a politically and security-sensitive development.
According to the U.S. official, Saab, 54, is expected to be extradited to the United States in the coming days, pending confirmation of his detention. This could signify a new chapter in the ongoing judicial and political confrontation between Washington and prominent figures of the former Venezuelan regime.
* Legal Denial and Media Skepticism
In contrast, Luigi Giuliano, Saab's attorney, has denied the reports, labeling the rumors of his client's arrest as “false,” according to statements reported by the Colombian newspaper El Espectador. Pro-government Venezuelan journalists have also questioned the authenticity of the information through social media posts, asserting that Saab has not been arrested.
Giuliano did not respond immediately to emails sent to the addresses listed on his law firm's website, while another attorney who represented Saab in a U.S. court in December 2023 declined to comment on the matter.
* From Cabo Verde to Washington... and Then Clemency
Born in Colombia, Alex Saab is a central figure in the network of economic and political relations surrounding Maduro during his time in power. He was arrested in Cabo Verde in 2020 and subsequently extradited to the United States, where he was detained for over three years on corruption and bribery charges.
Notably, Saab later received U.S. clemency in exchange for the release of American citizens held in Venezuela, bringing his name back into the spotlight with recent developments.
* After Maduro... Unprecedented Cooperation
This development comes just a month after U.S. forces arrested Nicolás Maduro himself in Caracas, an event that has shaken the Venezuelan political landscape. If Saab's arrest and extradition are confirmed, it would reflect an unprecedented level of cooperation between U.S. and Venezuelan authorities under the interim government led by Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro's former vice president and current interim president.
Observers believe that this step, if validated, could represent a radical turning point in the relationship between Washington and Caracas, paving the way for new prosecutions against key figures of the former regime.
