Alex Saab

Profile

Alex Nain Saab Moran (b. 1971) is a Colombian businessman identified by U.S. authorities as a key financial partner of Nicolas Maduro. Federal prosecutors describe him as one of the principal operators in the evasion of sanctions on Venezuela's energy sector and in the diversion of public funds.[ofac-2020-06-18-pdvsa-network]

Money-laundering case and extradition

In 2019 the Southern District of Florida charged Saab with money laundering. The indictment alleges that, together with his partner Alvaro Pulido Vargas, he diverted more than USD 350 million from a 2011 Venezuelan government contract to build low-income housing. Saab was detained in Cabo Verde in June 2020 during a technical stop on a flight to Iran; after a long legal battle, he was extradited to the United States on 16 October 2021.[dea-2021-10-19-alex-saab]

OFAC designation

On 18 June 2020, Treasury's OFAC sanctioned him within a network described as facilitating PDVSA oil operations in sanctions evasion, together with multiple companies and other linked individuals.[ofac-2020-06-18-pdvsa-network]

Release in prisoner exchange (2023)

On 20 December 2023, the United States released Saab in an exchange that secured the release of ten U.S. citizens held in Venezuela and the handover of contractor "Fat Leonard". President Joseph R. Biden signed Saab's pardon on 15 December 2023, with conditions: Saab must leave the United States and remain outside U.S. territory, must not commit further offences against the U.S. government, and must waive claims to seized assets. The pardon covered the housing case; it did not cover other lines of investigation, including the bribery network of the CLAP food program.[aljazeera-2024-10-18-saab-minister]

Minister of Industries and downfall

On 18 October 2024 Maduro appointed him Minister of the People's Power for Industries and National Production, replacing Pedro Tellechea. Maduro framed the appointment as part of a "new economic model". After Maduro's 2026 capture, interim president Delcy Rodriguez merged the Ministry of Industries with the Ministry of National Commerce and removed Saab from the cabinet.[aljazeera-2024-10-18-saab-minister]

Arrest and deportation (2026)

Four days after Maduro's capture, interim president Delcy Rodriguez dismissed Saab from the cabinet on 16 January 2026 and merged the Ministry of Industries into a broader commerce portfolio.[france24-2026-01-16-saab-dismissed] On 4 February 2026, in a joint FBI-SEBIN operation, Saab was detained in Caracas. He was held under Venezuelan intelligence custody while extradition was negotiated. His wife Camilla Fabri, deputy minister for international communication, was also removed from office in February.[dw-2026-05-16-saab-deportation]

On 16 May 2026 the Venezuelan interim government deported Saab to the United States, invoking his Colombian nationality under domestic immigration law. Two days later, on 18 May, he appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida before Magistrate Judge Marty Fulgueira Elfenbein on new money-laundering conspiracy charges not covered by the 2023 pardon.[dw-2026-05-16-saab-deportation][miamiherald-2026-05-18-saab-court]

Not-guilty plea (July 2026)

On 24 July 2026 Saab pleaded not guilty to the new Miami charges and was moved to the Federal Detention Center in Miami pending trial. Federal prosecutors describe him as one of Maduro's principal financial operators, with a network of shell companies, government contracts and cross-border financial flows designed to evade U.S. sanctions.[miamiherald-2026-07-24-saab-plea]

Reference status

The administrative sanctions and judicial facts described are documented in primary and secondary sources. Saab's current judicial situation continues to evolve and should be checked against the most recent procedural updates.[ofac-2020-06-18-pdvsa-network]