Alex Saab was close to the Venezuelan government during the final years of Hugo Chavez’s mandate and had come to manage a vast network of imports for Nicolas Maduro’s government.
Alex Saab, a prominent figure in Nicolas Maduro’s government, was expelled to the United States on Saturday, as announced by Venezuelan authorities in a statement, five months after the former president was captured by the US military.
“The expulsion of Colombian citizen Alex Naim Saab Moran was carried out on May 16, 2026. The expulsion measure was taken into consideration based on the fact that said Colombian citizen is involved in various crimes in the United States of America, as publicly known and widely reported by the media,” according to the statement from Venezuelan immigration authorities (Saime).
Alex Saab was close to the Venezuelan government during the final years of Hugo Chavez’s mandate (1999-2013) and was responsible for managing a vast network of imports for Nicolas Maduro’s government. He was seen as a key intermediary in the government as the country tried to navigate international sanctions. He was specifically in charge of importing goods for the social program selling subsidized food known as Clap, which has been plagued by corruption accusations.
Extradition of a Venezuelan in the legal sense is prohibited by the Constitution, but immigration authorities considered Mr. Saab to be Colombian and proceeded with an “expulsion” to the United States where he was wanted.
Mr. Saab was arrested during a layover in Cape Verde in 2020 and extradited in 2021 to the United States on charges of diverting food aid and money laundering in favor of Mr. Maduro. He was exchanged in December 2023 for ten Americans imprisoned in Venezuela. His release was hailed as a “triumph” by Mr. Maduro, who was captured on January 3 by the US military. Mr. Saab was welcomed back with great fanfare, and later appointed as minister.
In early February, media reported the FBI’s request for the arrest of Alex Saab, while a close source to the government mentioned he was “at home,” providing no further details. Delcy Rodriguez, former Vice President of Nicolas Maduro, took over power after the capture of the latter, removing Saab from the government and dismissing his Italian wife Camila Fabri from her positions. She also distanced several close associates of Nicolas Maduro from positions of power.
Under pressure from Washington, she implemented many changes, including adopting an amnesty law to release political prisoners and reforming the oil sector to open it to private investment.
