Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, often linked to drug trafficking, asserted on Monday that Alex Saab, who is often seen as Nicolas Maduro’s chief money launderer, isn’t a Venezuelan citizen and has been using a fraudulent Venezuelan identity document.
Cabello, who oversees the authoritarian forces within Venezuela’s socialist regime, made this claim during a press conference of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). His comments followed Saab’s recent deportation to the United States. According to Venezuelan law, extraditing citizens is not permitted, so Saab, a Colombian businessman previously celebrated by socialists, argued that his deportation was justified based on his alleged non-Venezuelan nationality.
Cabello stated that Saab presented a Venezuelan ID card from 2004 to prove his citizenship, but investigations concluded that the document was invalid. He emphasized that Venezuela’s immigration agency, SAIME, had no records confirming Saab’s claim to Venezuelan nationality. “Alex Saab is not Venezuelan; he is different,” Cabello maintained.
Cabello insisted that Saab has always presented an invalid Venezuelan ID and highlighted the lack of documentation to verify his citizenship. “That’s why we decided to expel him. He is not Venezuelan; he is a foreign national,” he added, firmly reiterating his stance.
“There’s no documentation supporting the claim that he is Venezuelan,” Cabello clarified. Saab is recognized as Maduro’s “financial brain,” facing numerous accusations of corruption, money laundering, and bribery, including ties to the CLAP food program, which has been accused of providing subpar food to Venezuelans in need.
Saab was first indicted in 2019 by the U.S. Department of Justice for allegedly laundering $350 million from Venezuela’s treasury through U.S. financial systems. He was arrested in Cape Verde in 2020 and subsequently extradited to the U.S. After being released by former President Biden in December 2023, Saab returned to Venezuela, where Maduro praised him as a “hero.”
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced new money laundering charges against Saab, currently in U.S. custody, for supposedly collaborating with others to secure lucrative contracts for importing food for the CLAP program.
DEA Director Terrence Cole remarked that ongoing investigations into Saab’s financial activities and connections with the former Maduro administration fueled these new charges. He added that the DEA’s goal has been to dismantle corrupt networks operating in Venezuela.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez stated that the Venezuelan government would act in the nation’s interest regarding Saab’s situation. She stressed that Saab is Colombian and has military ties to Venezuela, labeling the matter as one between him and the United States.
The Venezuelan government has long contended that Saab is a “diplomat” and accused the U.S. of violating his diplomatic status when he was detained in Cape Verde. They’ve been pushing a media campaign titled “Free Alex Saab,” which enlisted bots, influencers, and support from groups like CODEPINK to demand his release.
Despite Cabello’s claims about Saab’s alleged fraudulent identity, reports show that he possesses a Venezuelan diplomatic passport, was appointed Minister of Industry shortly after his return to Venezuela, and is registered in the country’s social security system. Notably, he even participated in the fraudulent presidential election held by Maduro, which requires citizenship to vote.
The NGO Transparencia Venezuela highlighted that Saab had diplomatic immunity during his arrest back in 2020. There are also reports that the government had appointed him a “special envoy” to facilitate trade relations between Venezuela and Iran.
