Venezuela cracks down on US-designated individuals

TT

Published 07.56

 

Venezuela's ousted president Nicolás Maduro and businessman Alex Saab in January 2024. Saab was convicted in the US of laundering large bribes, but was later released in a swap. Photo: Jesus Vargas/AP/TT

The Venezuelan government is said to have cracked down on two Maduro-linked businessmen in the country, Colombian Caracol and The New York Times report.

The two businessmen, Alex Saab and Raúl Gorrín, have been arrested and questioned. Saab was until recently the Minister of Industry.

Saab has previously been convicted in the US but was released in a swap. Gorrín is accused of money laundering there. The intervention indicates closer cooperation between the US and Venezuela – after the US raid in January that captured President Maduro in Caracas.

The new President Delcy Rodríguez has had a high-pitched tone outwardly but is reported to have been more compliant behind the scenes.

The Trump administration in the US has made it clear that it expects cooperation, especially regarding Venezuela's oil resources.

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The US arrested Saab

Oskar Forsberg

Published 2026-02-04 21.20

 

Businessman Alex Saab has been arrested.

The US has arrested a close friend of Venezuela's ex-president Nicolás Maduro.

It concerns the Colombian-Venezuelan businessman Alex Saab.

The Colombian-Venezuelan businessman Alex Saab has been arrested by US agents.

Saab was arrested in Venezuela, reports the Reuters news agency.

Saab has previously been imprisoned in the US. In 2020, he was arrested in Cape Verde. He was locked up for three years before being extradited in a prisoner exchange with Venezuela, writes Reuters.

 

Alex Saab is a close friend of Venezuela's former president Nicolás Maduro. Photo: X 

Styret i Venezuela uppges ha slagit till mot två Maduro-kopplade affärsmän i landet, rapporterar colombianska Caracol och The New York Times.

De två affärsmännen, Alex Saab och Raúl Gorrín, har gripits och förhörts. Saab var fram till nyligen industriminister.

Saab har tidigare dömts i USA men frigivits i en utväxling. Gorrín anklagas för penningtvätt där. Ingripandet tyder på ett närmare samarbete mellan USA och Venezuela – efter det amerikanska anfallet i januari där president Maduro tillfångatogs i Caracas.

Den nya presidenten Delcy Rodríguez har haft ett högt tonläge utåt men rapporteras ha varit mer följsam bakom kulisserna.

Trumpregeringen i USA har låtit förstå att den förväntar sig samarbete framför allt i fråga om Venezuelas oljeresurser.