Washington suspects him to be at the head of a large network that allowed Nicolas Maduro and his diet to divert food aid to Venezuela.
Le Monde with AFP
Alex Saab, a Colombian business man near Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and acknowledged whitening, was extradited Saturday, October 16 to the United States by Cape Verde where he had been arrested, reported to the Agence France-Press (AFP) A source within its legal team. It “is on the plane en route to the United States”.
This businessman and partner Alvaro Pulido are accused of the United States of being at the head of a vast network allowing the Socialist leader Nicolas Maduro and his plan to divert for their benefit from the aid. food for Venezuela.
Suspected of having transferred some $ 350 million (about 302 million euros) from Venezuela to accounts they controlled in the United States and other countries, they risk up to 20 years in prison .
An extradition denounced by Venezuela
Alex Saab, which also has Venezuelan nationality and a Venezuelan diplomatic passport, was charged in July 2019 in Miami for money laundering and stopped at a stopover in Cape Verde, off. West Africa, June 2020.
Colombian president Ivan Duque confirmed that he had been extradited. “Alex Saab extradition is a victory in the fight against drug trafficking, asset whitening and corruption that the dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro has favored, has Tweeted Duque . Colombia supported and will continue to support the United States in the network survey transnational crime led by Saab. “
Cape Verde has accepted last month from extrader Alex Saab to the United States, despite the protests of Venezuela.
Venezuela said Saturday that Mr. Saab, whom he called his “ambassador” because he had to be part of a government delegation for talks with the opposition, had been “kidnapped” by the United States.