Story perspectives

Saab Deported, Charged; Venezuela Says Extradition Ban Broken

5/19/2026

Summary

Story summary

Prosecutors say a 2015 scheme used fake companies and falsified shipping records to divert CLAP funds.
Alex Saab was charged with one count of money laundering in Miami after interim President Delcy Rodriguez deported him.
Rodriguez said the deportation served national interests and reflected coordination with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Venezuelan officials, including interior minister Diosdado Cabello, claim Saab is not a citizen and his removal breaches the extradition ban.

History

Historical Context

Operation Car Wash, launched in March 2014, began with a car-wash raid in Brasília and soon exposed a Petrobras money-laundering network that triggered over a thousand judicial warrants against politicians such as former president Luiz Inácio Lula. The scandal’s spread to other Latin-American states, including Venezuela’s 2015 CLAP aid scheme linked to Diosdado Cabello, highlighted how entrenched patronage networks exploit emergency programs and spurred U.S. sanctions on Caracas.

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Story summary

Prosecutors say a 2015 scheme used fake companies and falsified shipping records to divert CLAP funds.
Alex Saab was charged with one count of money laundering in Miami after interim President Delcy Rodriguez deported him.
Rodriguez said the deportation served national interests and reflected coordination with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Venezuelan officials, including interior minister Diosdado Cabello, claim Saab is not a citizen and his removal breaches the extradition ban.

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