Venezuela extradites key Maduro ally to the US 'with the help of the CIA' despite being pardoned by Joe Biden

Published: 03:40, 17 May 2026 | Updated: 03:57, 17 May 2026 An individual known as Nicolás Maduro's 'bag man' has been extradited to the US to face judicial proceedings despite being granted a presidential pardon by Joe Biden in 2023.  Alex Saab, 54, a close ally of Maduro, was reportedly deported after he was arrested in February in Venezuela, according to Venezuela's migration agency.  Saab received the pardon in a prisoner swap. The US released him from jail in exchange for 10 Americans imprisoned in Venezeula.  Sources told local media, Lapatilla, that Saab will be tried in the Southern District of Florida on charges of money laundering, corruption and sanctions evasion.  The State Department and the Department of Justice assisted in the operation alongside the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to the outlet.  Interim President Delcy Rodriguez formalized the deportation order, which was carried out by the Administrative Service for Identification, Migration, and Foreigners (SAIME). The agency referred to Saab in their statement as a 'Colombian citizen.' He is a Colombian national but holds Venezuelan citizenship as well.  The Venezuelan government said he has been 'implicated in committing several crimes in the United States of America, a fact that is widely known, notorious, and heavily documented in the media.'  Maduro ally Alex Saab, pictured above, has been deported to the US to face judicial proceedings. He's pictured above with Maduro in 2024  Saab is a Colombian national and a close ally to Maduro. He was arrested in Venezeula in February  The decision marks the latest development in US relations with Venezeula under Rodriguez's administration. This is a breaking news story...   No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.