FBI Targets Venezuelan Corruption with Capture of Alex Saab and Raúl Gorrín

The colombo-Venezuelan businessman Alex Saab, seen as a close ally of President Nicolás Maduro, was arrested this Wednesday in Venezuela during a joint operation by the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) and the FBI of the United States, according to various Colombian media citing official sources.

The capture took place in the residential area Cerro Verde in Caracas. Saab, who held economic positions in the Chavista government and served as Minister of Industry from 2024 to January 2026, is now in custody while his possible extradition to the United States is being evaluated.

Saab gained international notoriety in 2020 when he was arrested in Cabo Verde under a detention order issued by the United States, which accused him of money laundering in a network of alleged corruption linked to the Venezuelan government.

ARCHIVO – Pedestrian walk past a sign calling for the freedom of Colombian businessman and Venezuelan special envoy Alex Saab, in Caracas, on September 9, 2021. – Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

After a lengthy legal battle, he was extradited to the United States, where he faced federal charges before being released in December 2023 as part of a prisoner exchange agreement with Venezuela.

Since his return to Venezuela, Saab has been integrated into the government in a key economic role, which has drawn criticism from both opposition sectors and international analysts, who considered his appointment controversial given his legal history in the United States.

Businessman Raúl Gorrín, president of Globovisión, also captured

Venezuelan media reported that in the same operation, businessman Raúl Gorrín, president of the Globovisión channel, was detained, although there is currently no official confirmation from the government or the Public Ministry regarding the charges they would both face in Venezuela.

ARCHIVO – Globovisión is a Venezuelan cable news channel, founded in 1994. Photograph taken on October 3, 2003. – LESLIE MAZOCH/Copyright 2019 The AP. All rights reserved.

The potential extradition of Saab to the United States remains under evaluation and brings back a long-standing legal and diplomatic dispute between Caracas and Washington.

U.S. authorities have accused Saab for years of crimes related to money laundering, accusations that the businessman has denied, while sectors of Chavismo have argued that the proceedings against him are politically motivated.