Alex Saab, a Colombian businessman who was once a prominent associate of Venezuela's ousted president Nicolas Maduro, pleaded not guilty on Friday to charges of money laundering in U.S. federal court in Miami.
At the hearing, Saab's attorneys entered the not guilty plea on his behalf, according to defense lawyer Joseph Schuster. The plea was entered in Miami federal court, where prosecutors allege financial misconduct tied to a Venezuelan welfare program.
U.S. prosecutors in Miami accuse Saab of diverting millions of dollars from a welfare plan that was intended to purchase food for Venezuelans, and of transferring portions of those funds into bank accounts in the United States. The Miami U.S. Attorney's Office is pursuing the money laundering case against him.
Saab's return to U.S. jurisdiction followed his deportation from Venezuela in May. Venezuelan officials, including Delcy Rodriguez - who served as Maduro's vice president and is now running the country - said the deportation was "justified by national interests." The deportation occurred after U.S. Special Forces captured Maduro in Caracas in January, according to the timeline associated with Saab's transfer.
Saab has previously faced U.S. criminal proceedings. He was detained in Cape Verde in 2020 and subsequently taken to the United States to face charges. Later, in 2023, then-President Joe Biden granted Saab clemency in an arrangement tied to the release of Americans detained in Venezuela.
Maduro himself has pleaded not guilty to separate drug trafficking charges and is scheduled to stand trial beginning June 1, 2027. Saab served previously as Venezuela's minister of industry, a post noted in public records.
The case in Miami underscores multiple legal and diplomatic threads: alleged misuse of funds intended for social assistance, questions over international transfers to U.S. bank accounts, and the political context surrounding deportation decisions and prior detentions.
Legal next steps
Saab's not guilty plea sets the stage for pretrial proceedings in the Miami federal court. Specific dates and further procedural developments were not provided at the hearing beyond the entry of the plea and the details already summarized.