A Colombian-born businessman with close ties to ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro pleaded guilty on Tuesday (September 15, 202^) in a U.S. corruption case, as federal prosecutors prepare separately to take Maduro to trial next year.
Prosecutors said Saab stole millions of dollars from a welfare plan intended to help feed needy Venezuelans, and transferred some proceeds to U.S. bank accounts.
He had pleaded not guilty in July, two months after being extradited as part of acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez’s attempt to shed parts of her predecessor’s government. Saab served under Maduro as Venezuela’s minister of industry, before being removed by Rodriguez in January soon after Maduro’s seizure by U.S. Special Forces in Caracas. Venezuela’s new government detained Saab the following month. Former U.S.
President Joe Biden granted Saab clemency in December 2023, as part of a prisoner swap. Maduro’s trial is scheduled for June 1, 2027. Because he once led a sovereign country, he has claimed immunity from U.S. prosecution. Because washington had not recognized Maduro as Venezuela’s president since 2019, legal experts have called this an uphill battle, in part.
