Former Venezuelan official Alex Saab was reportedly arrested in Venezuela on Wednesday in a joint operation involving United States (US) and Venezuelan authorities, a significant development that could lead to his extradition to the U.S., international media reported.
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A U.S. law enforcement official told Reuters that Saab, 54, a Colombian‑Venezuelan businessman and longtime ally of former President Nicolás Maduro, was detained as part of a coordinated operation between Venezuelan forces and U.S. agencies. Saab is expected to be extradited to face charges in the United States “in the coming days,” the official said.
🚨 BREAKING: Alex Saab, a close ally and former industry minister under Nicolás Maduro, was just apprehended in a joint U.S.–Venezuelan operation.
This marks another blow to Maduro’s network as U.S. pressure on Venezuela’s regime continues.pic.twitter.com/9tABSp5LMl
— Derrick Evans (@DerrickEvans4WV) February 4, 2026
🇺🇸🇻🇪 | U.S. confirms the arrest of Alex Saab, Nicolás Maduro’s top frontman, following a joint FBI-SEBIN operation with the “cooperation” of Delcy Rodríguez. pic.twitter.com/2rXJTMgAPu
— ʜᴇʀQʟᴇs ᴇɴɢ (@Herqles_eng) February 4, 2026
Saab’s alleged arrest follows his release from U.S. custody in late 2023 under a presidential clemency deal in exchange for the release of Americans held in Venezuela. At the time, the businessman was celebrated upon his return to Caracas and later appointed as industry minister under Maduro’s government.
However, in separate statements reported by Colombian outlet El Espectador, Saab’s lawyer Luigi Giuliano denied that the arrest had occurred, describing the reports as “fake news” and saying he had seen Saab in Caracas and that the situation was under review. Pro‑government Venezuelan journalists also posted social media denials, and Venezuela’s top lawmaker, Jorge Rodriguez, said he had no official information to confirm or deny the reports.
Caracol Radio and other regional media cited intelligence sources saying Saab was detained early Wednesday by Venezuela’s National Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN) in coordination with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In the same operation, Venezuelan businessman Raúl Gorrín, owner of Globovisión and sanctioned by U.S. authorities, was reportedly arrested.
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Saab was first detained in Cape Verde in 2020 on a U.S. warrant for money laundering and bribery linked to Venezuelan state contracts before being extradited to the U.S. and later released as part of the prisoner exchange. The conflicting reports have made it difficult to independently verify the details, and the situation remains fluid as legal and diplomatic processes continue.