Maduro ally Alex Saab pleads guilty to US money laundering charges

September 16, 2026 at 04:33 AM2 min

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Alex Saab, a former Venezuelan official and aide to ex-President Nicolás Maduro, pleaded guilty to money laundering charges in a Miami federal court on Tuesday. Under the plea deal, Saab, 54, must forfeit $195 million and cooperate fully with US prosecutors. He faces up to 20 years in prison.

Key Facts

Saab, 54, pleaded guilty to money laundering charges in a Miami federal court on Tuesday.
The plea deal requires Saab to forfeit $195 million and cooperate fully with US prosecutors.
Saab faces up to 20 years in prison under the agreement.
Maduro and his wife, former First Lady Cilia Flores, face trial next year in New York on weapon and drug charges, which they deny.
Saab was extradited to the US in May by Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez.

Plea Agreement

Saab agreed to the deal on Tuesday in a court in Miami, Florida, having previously committed to fight the charges. As part of the plea deal, Saab must forfeit $195 million and agree to co-operate fully with US prosecutors. He could face up to 20 years in prison. The plea deal does not specifically mention the case against Maduro in New York, but it says Saab will not protect any person or identity through false information or omission.

Maduro Trial Context

Maduro and his wife, former First Lady Cilia Flores, face trial next year in New York on weapon and drug charges, which they deny. Maduro and Flores were seized by the US military in a dramatic raid in Caracas in January. Saab's plea deal has raised speculation that he could testify against Maduro at trial.

Case Background

Saab, a former Colombian businessman, was accused of embezzling money from a welfare plan for hungry Venezuelans and transferring some of the proceeds to US bank accounts. Venezuela has faced chronic shortages of food and medicine as a result of years of political and economic crisis. FBI Director Kash Patel said criminals like Saab who stole from the people of Venezuela and worked to exploit and misuse American financial institutions to fund illicit activities will be held accountable by the FBI. This is the second US criminal case against Saab; in 2020, he was extradited to face money laundering charges for allegedly siphoning $350 million out of Venezuela, but former US President Joe Biden granted him clemency in 2023 as part of a prisoner swap.