Alex Saab Pleads Guilty in $195 Million Laundering Case, Agrees to Cooperate
Updated
Updated · PBS NewsHour · Sep 15
Alex Saab Pleads Guilty in $195 Million Laundering Case, Agrees to Cooperate
3 articles · Updated · PBS NewsHour · Sep 15
Summary
$195 million in criminal proceeds will be forfeited after Alex Saab pleaded guilty in Miami to one money-laundering count tied to a Venezuelan contract bribery scheme.
The plea deal also commits Saab to cooperate with ongoing federal investigations, potentially giving U.S. prosecutors leverage against former protector Nicolás Maduro and other officials.
Court papers say Saab skimmed at least $195 million from six CLAP food-and-medicine contracts, using shell companies, falsified shipping records and accounts across multiple countries to hide payments.
Prosecutors said the scheme had backing from senior Venezuelan authorities; former governor Jose Gregorio Vielma Mora allegedly received $17 million in kickbacks and was charged in 2021.
The case revives a long-running U.S. pursuit of Saab, who was pardoned by Joe Biden in 2023 in a prisoner swap but later investigated over conduct outside that narrowly tailored pardon.