Venezuela has deported former industry minister Alex Saab to the US for a second time, according to an official statement issued by Venezuelan immigration authorities.
The government confirmed that Saab, a close ally of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, was deported on 16 May due to his alleged involvement in multiple crimes linked to US investigations.
Authorities described Saab as a Colombian citizen wanted in the US over corruption and money laundering allegations that have received extensive international attention.
Saab became closely connected to the Venezuelan government during the final years of former president Hugo Chávez and later managed a vast import network supporting Maduro’s administration amid international sanctions.
He was particularly linked to Venezuela’s subsidized food distribution program, which faced repeated accusations of corruption and financial misconduct.
Saab was first arrested in Cape Verde in 2020 before being extradited to the US in 2021 on money laundering charges.
He was later released in 2023 as part of a prisoner exchange agreement between Washington and Caracas.
Maduro subsequently appointed Saab to a senior government role, but acting president Delcy Rodríguez later removed him from office following Maduro’s arrest in Caracas earlier this year.
Although Venezuela’s constitution prohibits the extradition of citizens, immigration officials classified Saab as Colombian, allowing authorities to proceed with his deportation to the US, where he remains wanted by federal investigators.
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