Alex Saab, a key figure in Venezuelan power and close to President Nicolás Maduro before he was captured by the United States last January, was expelled to the United States on Saturday, May 16. He was in charge of importing products for the subsidized food sales program, which was accused of being corrupt.
Alex Saab, a key figure in Venezuelan power under Nicolás Maduro, was expelled to the United States on Saturday, May 16, five months after the capture of the ousted president by the U.S. Army, Venezuelan authorities said.
“Venezuela reports the expulsion of Colombian citizen Alex Naim Saab Moran, carried out this May 16, 2026. The expulsion measure was adopted considering that said Colombian citizen is involved in various crimes in the United States of America, as is public, notorious, and widely reported by the media,” according to a statement from Venezuelan immigration authorities (Saime).
Chargé d’un vaste réseau d’importation sous Maduro
Alex Saab had become close to the Venezuelan government during the final years of Hugo Chávez’s mandate (1999-2013) and had come to manage a vast network of imports for the government of Nicolás Maduro. He was considered a key intermediary, as the country tried to adapt to international sanctions.
He was particularly responsible for importing products for the subsidized food sales program, known as Clap, which was tainted by corruption allegations.
The extradition of a Venezuelan in the legal sense is prohibited by the Constitution, but immigration authorities considered Alex Saab to be Colombian and proceeded with an “expulsion” to the United States where he was wanted.
Première extradition vers les États-Unis en 2021
Alex Saab had been detained during a stopover in Cape Verde in 2020 and extradited in 2021 to the United States, which accused him of diverting food aid and money-laundering for the benefit of Nicolás Maduro.
He was released in December 2023 in exchange for ten Americans imprisoned in Venezuela. Maduro, captured on January 3 by the U.S. Army, had called it a “triumph.” Saab was welcomed back with great fanfare and later named a minister.
Écarté du gouvernement depuis la capture de Maduro
In early February, reports emerged of the FBI’s arrest warrant for Alex Saab, while a close source to power had only mentioned that he was “at home.”
Delcy Rodriguez, former vice president of Nicolas Maduro, took over after his capture and removed Alex Saab from the government, also ousting his Italian wife Camila Fabri from her positions. She also removed several close associates of Nicolás Maduro from power circles.
Under pressure from Washington, she made several changes, including adopting an amnesty law to release political prisoners and reforming the oil sector to open it to private investment.
