Federal prosecutors in Miami have reopened an investigation into Alex Saab, a businessman long tied to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, less than three years after President Joe Biden granted him clemency as part of a prisoner swap, according to multiple former law enforcement officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The renewed probe focuses on Saab’s alleged role in a bribery scheme tied to Venezuelan government food-import contracts — part of the so-called CLAP program — and traces back to a 2021 prosecution of his longtime associate, Álvaro Pulido. Prosecutors have spent months examining witness statements, financial records and transaction networks that could strengthen broader U.S. efforts to pursue criminal charges linked to Maduro’s inner circle.
Who Is Alex Saab?
Saab, 54, a Colombian-born businessman who amassed wealth through Venezuelan state contracts, has been described by U.S. officials as a close intermediary for Maduro. He was arrested in 2020 when his private jet stopped in Cape Verde en route to Iran. Authorities later learned Saab had been cooperating with U.S. investigators for years; his lawyers disclosed in a 2022 sealed hearing that he forfeited more than $12 million in illicit proceeds as part of that cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Allegations and Legal Context
Prosecutors allege that in 2016 a pro-Maduro governor hired a company tied to Pulido to import 10 million food boxes from Mexico at $34 per box — a price far above the likely cost — and that kickbacks were demanded and concealed through a network of companies. Saab is identified in the earlier indictment as "Co-Conspirator 1" and is alleged to have played a role in structuring transactions to hide illicit payments.
Saab escaped a prior U.S. prosecution after Biden pardoned him in 2023 as part of a prisoner exchange that secured the release of several Americans jailed in Venezuela and the return of a fugitive defense contractor known as "Fat Leonard." Legal scholars note that pardons can be narrowly tailored and may be voidable or limited: fresh charges generally can be brought only for conduct outside the pardon’s defined scope or for violations of any conditions attached to the clemency.
Current Developments
Saab’s whereabouts were unclear after conflicting reports said Venezuelan authorities had briefly detained or questioned him at the U.S. request. Italian attorney Luigi Giuliano said he met Saab in Caracas last week and denied the businessman had been detained. Saab’s U.S. lawyer, Neil Schuster, declined to comment. Neither the Justice Department nor the FBI commented on the inquiry, and the White House did not respond to requests for comment.
Since a leadership change in Caracas last month — a shift that drew backing from the United States — acting President Delcy Rodríguez has removed Saab from official roles, firing him from her cabinet and stripping him of his position as a conduit for foreign investment.
Why This Matters
Former law enforcement officials say if Saab were returned to U.S. custody he could potentially provide testimony and corroboration useful in broader prosecutions tied to Maduro’s government. Former Miami federal prosecutor David Weinstein observed that Saab could help jurors understand the scope of alleged corruption, even if Saab himself is not charged with the most serious offenses alleged against Maduro.
Sources: Reporting by The Associated Press; comments from former law enforcement officials and legal scholars; related coverage as part of the FRONTLINE documentary "Crisis in Venezuela."
This story is part of an investigation that includes the FRONTLINE documentary "Crisis in Venezuela," premiering Feb. 10, 2026, on PBS.
