Alex Saab

Alex Saab, a Colombian-born businessman and former Venezuelan minister, is a central figure in numerous international corruption and money laundering investigations. Allegations and Investigations: In 2019, U.S. federal prosecutors indicted Saab for money laundering tied to government contracts for low-income housing that was never built. Additionally, he has been identified as a key operator in the Local Supply and Production Committees (CLAP) program, where he allegedly utilized shell companies, bribery, and inflated invoicing to siphon hundreds of millions of dollars from humanitarian food contracts. Further allegations include laundering money through Venezuelan gold trades and illicit oil sales from the state-owned firm PDVSA. Investigative reports also linked him to the misuse of CADIVI currency systems and the Panama, Pandora, and FinCEN papers. Legal Proceedings and Status: Saab was arrested in Cape Verde in 2020 while en route to Iran and extradited to the U.S. in 2021. In 2023, President Joe Biden granted him a pardon as part of a prisoner exchange. Following his return to Venezuela, he served as Minister of Industry and National Production until his dismissal in January 2026. Following the capture of Nicolás Maduro, Saab was deported by Venezuelan authorities to the U.S. in May 2026 to face new money laundering and financial conspiracy charges. Other Jurisdictions: Colombian authorities indicted Saab in 2019 on multiple charges, including money laundering and aggravated fraud; he was acquitted of these specific charges in May 2024. Ecuadorian authorities also investigated his firms for money laundering and overbilling, though the case was ultimately dismissed. Informant Role: Saab secretly served as an informant for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) starting in 2018, during which he cooperated on corruption investigations and forfeited over $12 million in illicit proceeds.