Venezuelan official Alex Saab, a Maduro ally, deported to US

FILE PHOTO: Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and Colombian businessman Alex Saab attend an event, in Caracas, Venezuela Jan 23, 2024. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo

Venezuelan official Alex Saab, a Colombian-Venezuelan businessman and ally of former President Nicolas Maduro, was deported to the United States, Venezuela's migration agency, SAIME, said on Saturday.

Saab was arrested in Caracas in February during a joint operation by US and Venezuelan authorities, according to a US law enforcement official at the time.

Saab's arrest occurred a month after Maduro's own capture by US special forces in Caracas. The arrest and deportation of Saab suggested a new level of collaboration between US and Venezuelan law enforcement under acting President Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro's former vice president.

The Colombian-born Saab, 54, was previously detained in Cape Verde in 2020 and held in the US on bribery charges. He was granted clemency in 2023 in exchange for the release of Americans detained in Venezuela.

Saab could provide US authorities with information to strengthen their criminal case against Maduro, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken to New York in January to face criminal charges, including conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism. They deny the charges.

Saab and his wife lived in Italy several years ago. Luigi Giuliano, a lawyer in Italy who has represented him, said on Saturday he does not handle Saab's US cases and could not confirm the deportation. Another lawyer for Saab did not immediately respond to a request for comment.