Journalists aligned with Venezuela’s authorities denied that Alex Saab had been arrested in posts on social media on February 4, 2026 afternoon, after stories of his detention first surfaced in Colombian media. File
| Photograph Credit score: Reuters
Venezuelan official Alex Saab, a Colombian-Venezuelan former businessman as soon as held within the U.S., was arrested in Venezuela on Wednesday (February 4, 2026) as a part of a joint operation between U.S. and Venezuelan authorities, a U.S. regulation enforcement official stated.
Saab, a shut ally of President Nicolas Maduro, was cinematically detained in Cape Verde in 2020 and held within the U.S. for greater than three years on bribery expenses, earlier than being granted clemency in alternate for the discharge of People held in Venezuela.
His newest detention represents a dramatic flip in fortune a month after Mr. Maduro himself was captured by U.S. forces in Caracas, and suggests a brand new stage of collaboration between U.S. and Venezuelan regulation enforcement underneath the federal government of interim President Delcy Rodriguez, Mr. Maduro’s former deputy.
Saab, 54, is anticipated to be extradited to the U.S. within the coming days, the U.S. official stated.
The official famous the importance of Ms. Rodriguez’s cooperation within the joint operation. As interim chief, Ms. Rodriguez controls Venezuela’s regulation enforcement businesses and actions.
Raul Gorrin, the pinnacle of Venezuela’s Globovision TV community, was additionally arrested within the operation, in line with the official.
Journalists aligned with Venezuela’s authorities denied that Saab had been arrested in posts on social media on Wednesday (February 4, 2026) afternoon, after stories of his detention first surfaced in Colombian media.
The Venezuelan communications ministry didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark and it was not instantly potential to establish whether or not Saab or Gorrin have authorized illustration.
Earlier than his 2023 clemency, U.S. officers had charged Saab with siphoning round $350 million out of Venezuela by way of the U.S. as a part of a bribery scheme linked to Venezuela’s state-controlled alternate charge.
Saab denied the costs and appealed to have them dismissed on grounds of diplomatic immunity. An appeals courtroom had not dominated on Saab’s attraction on the time of the prisoner swap.
He returned with fanfare to Venezuela on the finish of 2023, the place Mr. Maduro lauded his loyalty to the nation’s socialist revolution and feted him as a nationwide hero.
Mr. Maduro later made Saab business minister, a place he held till final month, when he was eliminated by Ms. Rodriguez.
Printed – February 05, 2026 05:26 am IST