Alex Saab pleads guilty to money laundering in US court
Colombian businessman agrees to cooperate with prosecutors and forfeit up to $195 million in exchange for reduced sentence.
KEY POINTS
- Alex Saab pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder money in US federal court on September 15, 2026.
- Plea deal requires full cooperation with prosecutors and forfeiture of up to $195 million.
- Saab faces up to 20 years in prison; sentencing set for January 20, 2027.
- Agreement implicates Venezuelan officials and Colombian associates in CLAP corruption scheme.
- Saab was extradited from Venezuela in May 2026 after Maduro's capture by US forces.
Colombian businessman Alex Saab pleaded guilty on September 15 to one count of conspiracy to launder money before a federal court in Miami. The plea agreement requires Saab to cooperate fully with US prosecutors and forfeit up to $195 million in illicit proceeds linked to Venezuela's CLAP food program.
Saab, 54, had previously pleaded not guilty after his extradition from Venezuela in May 2026. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine, though cooperation may reduce the sentence. Sentencing is scheduled for January 20, 2027.
“Saab committed to cooperate fully with the US Department of Justice: provide truthful information and testimony, and deliver documents and other evidence that may be used in investigations and judicial proceedings, without protecting anyone.”
The 12-page factual proffer names former Venezuelan officials and Colombian associates as co-conspirators, including former minister José Gregorio Vielma Mora and businessmen Álvaro Pulido Vargas, Emmanuel Enrique Rubio González, and Carlos Rolando Lizcano. Two additional co-defendants remain unidentified.
Saab served as a key contractor for the CLAP program and later held posts as Venezuela's industry minister and ambassador. His arrest and extradition followed the US military extraction of Nicolás Maduro in January 2026.
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