Homeland Security Task Force arrests Alex Saab on money-laundering charges involving Venezuelan food contracts and oil

U.S. prosecutors say Homeland Security Task Force investigators arrested Alex Saab and brought him to a Miami federal court on May 18, where he faced a money-laundering charge tied to an alleged scheme involving Venezuelan food contracts and oil proceeds.

The Justice Department said the case centers on a network that used shell companies, falsified shipping records and bribery or kickbacks to move money connected to Venezuela’s food import program. AP reported that Saab appeared in court in a prison uniform before a federal judge in Miami.

According to the reporting, Saab was a close ally of President Nicolás Maduro and had previously been pardoned in 2023, but remained under renewed U.S. scrutiny. Reuters, AP and the Justice Department all described the arrest and charge as part of a broader corruption case involving Venezuelan food contracts and oil.

The latest filings and court appearance mark the first confirmed public development in the U.S. case beyond earlier reporting that Venezuela said it had deported Saab to face criminal proceedings in the United States.

What happens next

The immediate next steps are likely to include further court proceedings in Miami and any response from Saab or his lawyers. It is also unclear whether prosecutors will present additional evidence beyond the initial charge or whether Venezuelan officials will issue another formal statement on the arrest and deportation.