Colombian media announced on Wednesday the arrest of Venezuelan official Alex Saab, a Colombian-Venezuelan businessman who was previously detained in the United States, inside Venezuelan territory.
Saab is considered a close associate of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. He was arrested in Cape Verde in 2020, where he spent more than three years in detention in connection with a bribery case, before he later obtained a pardon in exchange for the release of American citizens who were detained in Venezuela.
After his return to Venezuela, Saab received an official welcome, where Maduro praised his loyalty to the socialist revolution in the country, and was presented as a national hero. Later, Maduro appointed him Minister of Industry, a position he held until last month, before he was relieved of his duties by a decision of Interim President Delcy Rodriguez.
In a related context, the Colombian Caracol TV station reported that Saab was arrested by the Venezuelan Internal Intelligence Service (SEBIN), indicating the possibility of his extradition to the United States.
Blue Radio also reported that the arrest operation was carried out in coordination with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
For its part, Karakol Radio, which is independent from the television station, explained that the arrest took place in the early hours of Wednesday morning, and that businessman Raul Gorin is also being detained.
