MIAMI — In a significant reversal, the U.S. Justice Department has reignited its investigation into Alex Saab, a prominent businessman and close associate of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, according to an Associated Press report. This development comes less than three years after President Joe Biden granted Saab a presidential pardon as part of a prisoner exchange agreement.
The renewed probe, conducted by federal prosecutors, focuses on Saab’s alleged involvement in a bribery conspiracy related to Venezuelan government contracts for food imports. Two former law enforcement officials, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the ongoing investigation, revealed that prosecutors have been examining Saab’s activities for several months.
Saab, a 54-year-old Colombian-born entrepreneur who amassed considerable wealth through government contracts, was previously described by U.S. authorities as Maduro’s primary financial conduit. His situation deteriorated significantly following the recent political transition in Venezuela that saw Maduro replaced by acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who subsequently removed Saab from her cabinet and stripped him of his influential position.
The current investigation originates from a 2021 case brought by the Justice Department against Saab’s longtime business partner, Alvaro Pulido. The case centers on Venezuela’s CLAP program, a social welfare initiative established by Maduro to provide essential food items to impoverished citizens struggling amid hyperinflation and economic collapse.
This renewed scrutiny represents a dramatic turnaround for Saab, who had previously avoided prosecution for an unrelated bribery scheme thanks to Biden’s 2023 pardon, which secured the release of several Americans imprisoned in Venezuela. Legal experts note that bringing fresh charges against pardoned individuals is unusual and only permissible for crimes falling outside the specific scope of the original pardon.
Frank Bowman, professor emeritus at the University of Missouri School of Law, emphasized that Saab’s pardon was specifically tailored to a 2019 indictment and included conditions requiring him to remain outside the United States and refrain from committing further crimes against the country. “This is a voidable pardon,” Bowman noted.
The investigation unfolds against the backdrop of shifting U.S.-Venezuela relations and the Trump administration’s efforts to stabilize ties with the oil-rich nation. Should Saab be returned to U.S. custody, former law enforcement officials suggest he could become a valuable witness against Maduro, given his extensive knowledge of corruption within Maduro’s inner circle and previous cooperation with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Neither U.S. officials nor Venezuela’s acting government have commented on the ongoing investigation. Saab’s current whereabouts remain unknown following conflicting reports about his possible detention in Venezuela.