Alex Saab will plead guilty in the US in a money laundering case: he could become a witness against Maduro

Alex Saab will plead guilty in the US in a money laundering case: he could become a witness against Maduro

The Colombian businessman Alex Saab, considered for years one of the men closest to former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, He will plead guilty this Tuesday in a federal court in Miami in a money laundering case related to contracts for the import of food to Venezuela, he reported The Associated Press (AP).

Saab, 54, is scheduled to appear before the federal judge Kathleen Williams for a guilty plea change hearing. So far, details of the agreement between the prosecution and the defense have not been publicly released.

The businessman faces a charge of money laundering, derived from an investigation in which US authorities accused him of participating in a conspiracy that he allegedly used fictitious companies, falsified documents and fraudulent contracts to obtain benefits from operations related to the import of food from Colombia and Mexico.

Saab was extradited back to the US.

The businessman was initially arrested in Cape Verde in 2020, when he was making a stopover to refuel during a trip to Iran. He was later extradited to the United States to face federal charges.

In 2023, the then US president Joe Biden granted Saab a pardon as part of an agreement that included the release of several US citizens detained in Venezuela. However, US authorities continued to investigate the businessman's other alleged activities that were not covered by that pardon.

Saab returned to US territory in May 2026, after the government of Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, deported him amid pressure from Washington.

His statement could have implications for the Maduro case

One of the aspects that generates the greatest expectation surrounding Saab's statement is the possibility that His cooperation with US authorities could provide information against Nicolás Maduro.

According to AP, US prosecutors could consider using Saab as prosecution witness or relevant witness in investigations related to the former Venezuelan president, who faces federal drug trafficking charges in New York.

Saab's eventual cooperation could provide information on financial operations, state contracts and alleged corruption mechanisms developed during the years in which he maintained close ties with the Venezuelan government.

The case also occurs at a time of profound transformation in the relationship between Washington and Caracas, while Donald Trump's administration concentrates part of its strategy towards Venezuela on the control and exploitation of its important oil reserves.

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