Alex Saab, a 54-year-old businessman from Barranquilla, Colombia, is set to change his plea to guilty on Tuesday before a federal judge in Miami, according to the Associated Press. Saab has long been identified by US authorities as one of the most trusted figures in the inner circle of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, allegedly helping move money through overpriced contracts for food imports into Venezuela.
The hearing will take place before US District Judge Kathleen Williams, who will formalize the shift in Saab’s plea. The exact terms of the agreement reached between federal prosecutors and Saab’s legal team have not been made public, leaving open questions about what concessions, if any, he received in exchange for cooperating.
This is not Saab’s first brush with the US justice system. He was previously detained and prosecuted in the United States before being released as part of a prisoner arrangement under President Joe Biden’s administration. He was later returned to face justice again, a move connected to Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez.
Saab’s case has drawn close attention because of his alleged role as a financial operator for Maduro’s government, at a time when the United States has intensified pressure on Caracas over corruption and drug-trafficking allegations. To read the full report, visit El Tiempo’s original story.
Source: Alex Saab, señalado testaferro de Nicolás Maduro, se declarará culpable en EE. UU. por caso de lavado de dinero (eltiempo.com). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: srqpix, BY 2.0 (via Openverse).