Trending Now - Maduro Associate Extradited to US Amid Corruption Charges
WHO:
CBS News - Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured by U.S. forces on Venezuelan soil in early January and transported to New York City to face narco-trafficking and firearms charges.
ABC News - Acting President Delcy Rodríguez deported Saab as part of a purge of insider businessmen.
AP - Alex Saab, shackled and wearing a beige prison uniform, answered “Yes, ma’am” in English when asked by a federal judge in Miami whether he understood the charges against him.
Fox News - Alex Nain Saab Moran, 55, a former minister of industry and national production under Nicolás Maduro's regime.
ABC News - Alex Saab, a close ally of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
WHAT:
CBS News - Federal prosecutors in Miami were ordered to open a new criminal investigation targeting Nicolás Maduro amid concerns about the pending prosecution against him.
CBS News - The new indictment against Saab was secured in January, not long after Maduro was brought to the U.S. to face charges.
ABC News - Saab was charged with a single count of money laundering tied to a decade-old conspiracy to create fake companies, falsify shipping records, and skim from government contracts to import food from Colombia and Mexico.
AP - The new indictment against Saab stems from a case the Justice Department brought against his longtime partner over the CLAP program.
Fox News - Saab has been deported by Venezuela to the United States to face federal charges related to a money laundering and bribery scheme.
Fox News - Saab is accused of orchestrating a scheme that defrauded a humanitarian program intended to provide food to impoverished Venezuelans, beginning around 2015.
Fox News - Prosecutors allege Saab and his co-conspirators sold billions of dollars’ worth of Venezuelan state-owned oil while circumventing U.S. sanctions.
Fox News - If convicted, Saab faces up to 20 years in federal prison, and the government is seeking forfeiture of any property or proceeds obtained through the alleged criminal activity.
WHERE:
Fox News - Saab appeared in federal court in Miami, Florida.
Fox News - The alleged activities took place in Venezuela and involved U.S. bank accounts.
WHEN:
Fox News - Saab was previously indicted in the U.S. in 2019 and extradited from Cabo Verde in 2021.
Fox News - Saab was pardoned by President Biden in 2023 as part of a prisoner swap.
WHY:
CBS News - Concerns have been expressed by Justice Department and White House officials about the lack of any money-laundering charges in the pending indictment against Maduro.
ABC News - The deportation of Saab was part of a purge of insider businessmen believed to have enriched themselves through corrupt dealings with Maduro.
Fox News - The charges stem from allegations that Saab and his associates paid bribes to Venezuelan government officials to secure contracts tied to the CLAP welfare program, which was intended to purchase and distribute food to vulnerable Venezuelans.
HOW:
CBS News - Michael Berger, a respected Miami-based prosecutor specializing in international criminal cases, was assigned to oversee the new investigation into Maduro.
AP - Saab allegedly helped set up a web of companies used to bribe a pro-Maduro governor who awarded business partners a contract to import food boxes from Mexico at an inflated price.
Fox News - Saab and his associates allegedly used shell companies, fraudulent invoices, and falsified shipping records to embezzle hundreds of millions of dollars from the food program.
Fox News - The proceeds from the illegal sale of Venezuelan oil were allegedly routed through U.S. bank accounts to conceal the transactions.
(UPDATED May 19, 2026 17:50 UTC)
Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured by U.S. forces on Venezuelan soil in early January and transported to New York City to face narco-trafficking and firearms charges. Federal prosecutors in Miami have been ordered to open a new criminal investigation targeting Maduro, amid concerns from Justice Department and White House officials about the absence of money-laundering charges in his pending indictment. Michael Berger, a respected Miami-based prosecutor specializing in international criminal cases, has been assigned to oversee this new investigation into Maduro.
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(UPDATED May 19, 2026 06:21 UTC)
In a Miami courtroom, Alex Saab, appearing in a beige prison uniform, confirmed his understanding of the charges against him when asked by a federal judge. Saab faces a single count of money laundering linked to a conspiracy involving the creation of fake companies and falsified shipping records, as well as skimming from government contracts to import food from Colombia and Mexico. The indictment against Saab is part of a broader effort by the Justice Department to target insider businessmen who allegedly profited from corrupt dealings with Maduro, including Saab's involvement in bribing a pro-Maduro governor for inflated food import contracts.
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(UPDATED May 19, 2026 04:20 UTC)
Alex Saab, a close ally of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and former minister of industry, has been deported by Venezuela to the United States to face serious federal charges related to a money laundering and bribery scheme. Prosecutors allege that Saab orchestrated a fraudulent operation that defrauded a humanitarian program intended to provide food to impoverished Venezuelans, while also selling billions of dollars’ worth of state-owned oil and circumventing U.S. sanctions. If convicted, Saab could face up to 20 years in federal prison, with the government seeking forfeiture of any property or proceeds obtained through his alleged criminal activities.