Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 14
Alex Saab Expected to Plead Guilty to 1 U.S. Money-Laundering Count
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 14

Alex Saab Expected to Plead Guilty to 1 U.S. Money-Laundering Count

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 14

Summary

  • Tuesday’s Miami hearing is set to change Alex Saab’s plea, four months after Venezuela extradited the former industry minister and longtime Nicolas Maduro ally to the United States.
  • Prosecutors charged Saab in May with one money-laundering count, accusing him of using U.S. banks to wash millions of dollars diverted from a Venezuelan food program funded by oil revenue.
  • A plea deal has not been disclosed, but Saab could cooperate against Maduro, who is awaiting trial in New York on narco-terrorism and cocaine importation charges.
  • Saab’s return to U.S. custody revives a case that saw him extradited in 2021, jailed nearly two years in Florida, then pardoned by Joe Biden and sent back to Venezuela in a swap involving 10 Americans.

Insights

After a stunning return to US custody, what explosive financial secrets will Alex Saab finally reveal to potentially bring down Nicolás Maduro?
How did millions meant for starving citizens vanish into global shell companies, and who else is hiding in this massive shadow network?