Alex Saab, Maduro Ally, to Plead Guilty in Miami Money Laundering Case

Alex Saab, a close ally of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, is set to enter a guilty plea in federal court in Miami on Tuesday. He faces charges tied to an alleged food-import bribery scheme.

Maduro's Former 'Bag Man' to Change Plea in Federal Court

Alex Saab, a Colombian-born businessman and close ally of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, is expected to plead guilty Tuesday in a federal money laundering case in Miami, NYT US News reports.

Saab, 54, is scheduled to appear before Judge Kathleen Williams for a change of plea hearing, according to court records. The details of the agreement were not immediately made public. His attorney, Neil Schuster, declined to comment.

He faces a single count of money laundering linked to an alleged conspiracy to set up shell companies, falsify shipping records, and skim proceeds from government contracts to import food from Colombia and Mexico — at a time when widespread shortages were affecting Venezuela.

Saab was originally charged during the first Trump administration in 2019 and subsequently arrested during a refueling stop in Cape Verde while on what the Venezuelan government described as a high-level humanitarian mission to Iran. President Joe Biden pardoned him in 2023 as part of a deal to secure the release of several Americans detained in Venezuela. That arrangement was criticized by Republicans and federal law enforcement officials, who launched new investigations into alleged crimes not covered by the narrowly drawn pardon.

Venezuela deported Saab in May at the request of the United States, which had been investigating him for more than a decade. The deportation came under pressure from Washington and was carried out by Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez.

U.S. officials have long referred to Saab as Maduro's "bag man." Prosecutors could potentially call him as a character witness against Maduro, who is himself awaiting trial on drug trafficking charges in Manhattan after being detained in a U.S. military operation in January.

The prosecution of Saab is unfolding as the Trump administration recalibrates its relationship with Caracas, with particular focus on Venezuela's oil sector. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump announced what he described as the "BIGGEST OIL DEAL IN WORLD HISTORY" — a partnership granting the U.S. federal government ownership stakes in a new entity with drilling rights over oil fields estimated to hold up to 65 billion barrels.

Source: NYT US News