The US releases businessman Alex Saab, a close associate of Nicolás Maduro

The president’s government Joe Biden freed a close ally of the Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro in exchange for Americans arrested in VenezuelaThe Associated Press learned.

Alex Saab, arrested in 2020 on a money laundering warrant, was released on Wednesday. In exchange for this, Maduro will release some, if not all, of the 10 US citizens imprisoned in Venezuela, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

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The White House He declined to make a statement.

On Friday and again on Monday, two records were filed under seal in the long-dormant criminal case in Miami federal court, a sign that a deal was being struck behind the scenes.

The agreement between Washington and Caracas represents the latest attempt by the US government to improve relations and bring back prisoners. It is likely to be the largest release of American prisoners since October 2022, when seven were freed. Weeks ago, the United States agreed to lift some sanctions when the Maduro government and an opposition faction formally decided to jointly develop a series of basic conditions for the next presidential elections.

For some time now, the United States accuses Saab of being a traveling representative of Maduro. His release would be a major concession to Maduro, an authoritarian ruler, himself subject to a $15 million reward for anyone who brings him to New York to face drug trafficking charges.

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Alex Saab, Nicolás Maduro’s alleged front man, was prosecuted in the United States on charges of money laundering. (Photo by ABC)

The exchange will likely upset the Venezuelan opposition, which has recently criticized the White House for remaining on the sidelineswhile the president of the OPEC member country repeatedly outmaneuvered the United States government after the Donald Trump administration’s maximum pressure campaign to oust him failed.

In October, the White House eased sanctions on the Venezuelan oil industry and promised to reimpose them by November 30 if Maduro did not fulfill his promise to pave the way for free and fair elections next year. The deadline has expired and Maduro has not lifted the ban on the candidacy of his main opponent, Maria Corina Machado.

Among the Americans arrested in Venezuela are two former Green Berets, Luke Denman and Airan Berry, implicated in an attempt to overthrow Maduro in 2019. Others arrested are Eyvin Hernández, Jerrel Kenemore and Joseph Cristella, accused of illegally entering the country from Colombia. Most recently, Venezuela arrested 38-year-old Californian businessman Savoi Wright.

U.S has carried out several prisoner exchanges with Venezuela in recent years. Most notable was a deal in October 2022 to free five executives from Houston-based oil company Citgo and two others in exchange for two nephews of Maduro’s wife imprisoned in the United States on drug trafficking charges.

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Saab, 51, was forced to abandon a private jet during a fuel stop in Cape Verde, en route to Iran, where he was heading to negotiate oil deals on behalf of Maduro’s government. He is charged with money laundering conspiracy in connection with a bribery scheme that allegedly diverted $350 million from state contracts to build affordable housing on behalf of the Venezuelan government.

Maduro’s government insists that Saab was traveling to Iran to buy food and medicine when he was detained in Cape Verde. The US Treasury had previously sanctioned Saab for allegedly running a scheme involving members of Maduro’s inner circle and stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from food import contracts at a time of widespread famine due to shortages in the South American country.

After ten years of crisis, food stores are well stocked, but few can afford to buy them. The minimum wage of US$3.60 per month is barely enough to buy a few liters of water.

The Trump administration presented Saab as a trophy and spent millions of dollars to pursue the Colombian businessman. At one point, he sent a Navy ship to the west coast of Africa to warn Venezuelans.

The Maduro government claims that Saab He is a Venezuelan diplomat who enjoys immunity under international law.

But his lawyers said last year in a closed-door hearing that before his arrest Saab secretly helped the DEA uncover corruption in Maduro’s inner circle and agreed to give up millions of dollars in illegal proceeds from corrupt state contracts. .

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The deal is the Biden administration’s latest concession to bring back Americans stranded abroad. The most high-profile trade occurred last December, when the government, despite objections from some Republican lawmakers and criticism from law enforcement officials, released Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in exchange for the basketball star. female Brittney Griner.

In September, Iran released five Americans in exchange for the release of nearly $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets and the freedom of two prisoners. The succession of exchanges has raised fears that the United States will encourage the taking of hostages abroad and present a false equivalence between Americans unjustly detained abroad in exchange for foreigners detained and sentenced in full by American courts.

Biden administration officials say they have won freedom for Americans wrongfully detained and held hostage abroad It is a government priority that requires complicated negotiations.

Source: Elcomercio