Alex Saab expected to plead guilty in Miami money laundering case

Alex Saab, a Colombian businessman and alleged close associate of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, is expected to plead guilty Tuesday in a federal money laundering case in Miami.

Saab, 54, is scheduled to appear before US District Judge Kathleen Williams for a change-of-plea hearing. The details of any potential plea agreement have not been disclosed, and his attorney Neil Schuster declined to comment.

US prosecutors accuse Saab of taking part in a scheme involving fictitious companies, falsified shipping records, and the diversion of funds from Venezuelan government contracts to import food from Colombia and Mexico.

The case centers on allegations that Saab used a network of companies to obtain lucrative government contracts while Venezuela was facing a severe economic crisis.

Saab previously pleaded not guilty to the charges in July. He had first been charged by US authorities in 2019 and was arrested in Cape Verde in 2020 while traveling to Iran.

He was extradited to the US in 2021, but was released in 2023 after then-President Joe Biden pardoned him as part of a prisoner exchange that secured the release of Americans detained in Venezuela.

Saab returned to US custody this May after Venezuela deported him to the US under pressure from Washington. His return followed a US military operation in January that resulted in the capture of Maduro.

The development comes as Washington is reshaping its relations with Venezuela following Maduro's capture, with the Trump administration placing increased focus on the country's energy sector and vast oil reserves.

US authorities could seek Saab's cooperation in the case against Maduro, who is facing drug-related charges in New York following his capture.

The US Justice Department said Saab is charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison if convicted.