Alex Saab, a key ally of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, was arrested in Venezuela on February 4, 2026, in what U.S. authorities described as a joint operation involving Venezuelan security forces and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, a U.S. law enforcement official said. Saab is expected to be extradited to the United States within days to face long‑standing corruption and money‑laundering charges.

Saab, 54, a Colombian‑born businessman long identified by U.S. prosecutors as a central financial operator for the Maduro regime, was detained in Caracas early Wednesday morning, according to Colombian broadcaster Caracol Radio and Reuters, citing U.S. and Venezuelan sources. In the same operation, Venezuelan businessman Raúl Gorrín, owner of Globovisión and sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury, was reportedly arrested. Saab remains in the custody of Venezuela’s Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) as procedural steps toward extradition are determined.

Saab was previously arrested in Cape Verde in 2020 and extradited to the United States, where he faced charges including conspiracy and laundering hundreds of millions of dollars through Venezuela’s state‑controlled exchange system. He was released in 2023 as part of a prisoner swap for Americans held in Venezuela and was later appointed industry minister by Maduro, a position he held until he was removed by interim President Delcy Rodríguez last month.

Saab’s lawyer, Luigi Giuliano, denied the arrest in comments to media, calling reports “fake news” and saying Saab intended to meet with Venezuelan authorities to clarify his situation. Venezuelan officials, including the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, have also neither confirmed nor denied the arrest.

The joint operation and expected extradition represent an unprecedented level of law‑enforcement cooperation between the United States and Venezuela’s interim government under Rodríguez, signaling a significant shift in the relationship between Washington and Caracas following broader political changes in the country.