Khaberni - A US law enforcement official stated that Venezuelan official Alex Saab was arrested in Venezuela on Wednesday, as part of a joint operation between the US and Venezuelan authorities.
Saab, a close ally of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, was arrested in Cape Verde in 2020 and detained in the United States for over 3 years on bribery charges, before he was granted a pardon in exchange for the release of Americans detained in Venezuela.
Later, the Colombian newspaper "El Espectador" reported that Saab's lawyer, Luigi Yuliano, denied the arrest and described these reports as "false".
Journalists loyal to the Venezuelan government also denied on social media that Saab had been arrested.
The US official said that it is expected that Saab, aged 54, will be extradited to the United States in the coming days.
This will mark a dramatic development after US forces arrested Venezuelan President Maduro in Caracas last month, indicating a new level of cooperation between the US and Venezuelan law enforcement authorities under the government of acting president Delcy Rodriguez, who was Maduro's deputy.
