SUMMARY

Colombian businessman Alex Saab Moran was extradited from Cabo Verde and appeared in a Miami federal court on money-laundering charges. The United States described him as a key frontman for Nicolas Maduro, tied to inflated housing program contracts and to the CLAP food-distribution program. Saab had been detained in Cabo Verde on 12 June 2020 when his private jet stopped to refuel en route to Iran.

OUTCOME

Saab was released in December 2023 in a prisoner exchange, appointed minister in October 2024, rearrested in February 2026, and deported to the United States in May 2026, where he remains in federal custody.

INVOLVED MEMBERS

Alex Saab

SOURCES