US Justice Department charges Maduro ally Alex Saab with money laundering

U.S. prosecutors charged Alex Saab, known as the "bag man" for former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, with money laundering over his alleged exploitation of a Venezuelan welfare plan, according to court filings ‌unsealed on ⁠Monday.

Saab, ⁠a top ally of Maduro's, was deported by ​Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodriguez over the weekend to the ​U.S. in a move that she said was "justified by national interests."

The deportation signaled a new ​level of coordination between ⁠the Trump ‌administration and Rodriguez, Maduro's former vice ​president.


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Saab, ​the 55-year-old former Venezuelan minister of ⁠industry, conspired to bribe Venezuelan officials and ​transferred money through U.S. bank accounts ​to enrich himself, prosecutors alleged. He made his initial court appearance on Monday afternoon in a Miami federal court.

The charges come as the administration of President Donald Trump ‌prepares to try Maduro, who was captured by U.S. special forces in ​Caracas earlier ​this year.

Saab ⁠could provide U.S. authorities with information to strengthen their criminal case against Maduro, Reuters previously reported.

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"These charges ​are a direct result of DEA's continued commitment to dismantle the corrupt networks operating throughout Venezuela," said U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terrance Cole.