Venezuela

Biden Pardoned Maduro's Fixer. He Just Pleaded Guilty to New Charges and Agreed To Forfeit $195 Million.

Alex Saab admitted to profiting from food and medicine contracts and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

César Báez | 9.16.2026 4:50 PM

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(Jesus Vargas/dpa/picture-alliance/Newscom)

A former Venezuelan minister and longtime ally of Nicolás Maduro, Alex Saab, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Miami to conspiring to launder money. Saab admitted to profiting from at least six food and medicine contracts by approximately $195 million in an eight-page factual proffer.

It is the latest turn in a story that reads like a mob movie. U.S. officials called Saab, a Colombian-born businessman, Maduro's "bag man." In 2023, after being captured and extradited to the U.S., Saab received a full pardon from then-President Joe Biden amid a prisoner swap with Venezuela. Maduro welcomed him home as a hero and made him acting industry minister. Now Saab has agreed to cooperate with investigators and may even serve as a state witness against his old boss.

Under the plea agreement, Saab accepted a $195 million forfeiture judgment and agreed to disclose and help locate assets. He faces up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence at the low end of the applicable range and may seek a further reduction if they determine that Saab provided substantial assistance.

Saab returned to U.S. custody after acting dictator Delcy Rodríguez's regime deported him to the U.S. in May. While the Venezuelan Constitution prohibits extraditing Venezuelan citizens, the regime's interior minister, Diosdado Cabello, claimed Saab's........

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