A relative of Nicolás Maduro extradited to the United States
Colombian businessman accused of money laundering for Venezuelan power, Alex Saab was extradited on Saturday by Cape Verde to the United States.
A tag calling for freedom for Alex Saab in the streets of Caracas.
AFP
A Colombian businessman close to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and accused of money laundering was extradited to the United States on Saturday from Cape Verde where he had been arrested, a source within his legal team told AFP . Alex Saab “is on the plane en route to the United States,” the source said.
The businessman and his partner Alvaro Pulido are accused in the United States of being at the head of a vast network which allowed the socialist leader Nicolás Maduro and his regime to divert food aid to their benefit. destination of Venezuela.
They are believed to have transferred some $ 350 million (roughly 323 million francs) from Venezuela to accounts they controlled in the United States and other countries. They face up to 20 years in prison.
Venezuelan diplomatic passport
Alex Saab, who also has Venezuelan nationality and a Venezuelan diplomatic passport, was indicted in July 2019 in Miami for money laundering, and was arrested during a plane stopover in Cape Verde, off the coast of the West Africa, in June 2020. Contacted by AFP, the US Department of Justice has not yet confirmed the extradition of the businessman.
Colombian President Iván Duque said he had indeed been extradited. “The extradition of Alex Saab is a victory in the fight against drug trafficking, money laundering and corruption that the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro has fostered,” Iván Duque tweeted. “Colombia has supported and will continue to support the United States in the investigation into the transnational crime network led by Saab.”
Cape Verde last month agreed to extradite Alex Saab to the United States, despite protests from Venezuela. Venezuela said on Saturday that Alex Saab, whom he called its “ambassador” because he was to be part of a government delegation for talks with the opposition, had been “kidnapped” by the United States .
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