Three reports from leading international media outlets suggest that Alex Saab, the Colombian businessman accused of serving as a front man for former Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro, may be on the brink of returning to the United States.
If confirmed, such a move would signal that the agreements struck by President Donald Trump with foreign leaders carry far greater weight — and far more opaque consequences — than publicly acknowledged.
Miami-based El Nuevo Herald reported just over a week ago that Saab is “likely” to be extradited to the United States following negotiations between officials from Trump’s administration and envoys of Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela’s interim president. Last Wednesday, The New York Times revealed that Miami prosecutors filed a formal indictment against Saab in January on corruption charges.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported on Friday that Caracas is weighing the possibility of stripping Saab of his Venezuelan citizenship, as the country’s constitution bars the extradition of its nationals.
Delcy Rodriguez follows Washington’s script
Saab’s arrest last February — barely a month after Maduro’s capture in a U.S. special forces operation — and his possible transfer to U.S. custody point to a government in Caracas increasingly aligned with Washington’s strategic interests. This alignment stands in stark contrast to Rodriguez’s public rhetoric, which continues to invoke revolutionary ideals, anti-imperialism, and national sovereignty.
The case of Alex Saab underscores a broader shift in the Venezuelan regime’s posture toward the Trump administration. It complements a series of measures that appear to respond to conditions imposed after Maduro’s capture. Among them are energy sector reforms that loosen state control — departing from Hugo Chávez’s model — and open the door wider to U.S. oil companies, alongside the release of political prisoners.
Yet Saab’s situation may signal something deeper: a definitive break between Rodriguez — accused by critics of effectively handing Maduro over — and the remnants of the former leader’s influence. Maduro now sits in a federal prison in New York, awaiting trial on drug trafficking charges.
For years, Maduro had been Saab’s chief protector. Following Saab’s arrest in Cape Verde in 2020 and his subsequent transfer to the United States in 2021, Maduro worked relentlessly to secure his release.
Negotiations with then-President Joe Biden ultimately led to Saab’s return to Caracas, where he was appointed minister of Industry. Before that, Maduro had granted him Venezuelan citizenship and diplomatic status — moves widely interpreted as attempts to shield a man who possessed sensitive information.
According to Bloomberg, U.S. authorities are particularly interested in leveraging Saab’s knowledge to trace the assets of the former Venezuelan leader.
Saab has lost his privileges
Saab’s privileged standing within the regime proved short-lived. After his release from U.S. custody in December 2023, he was welcomed in Caracas as a hero. Maduro hailed him as a “brave man” and a “patriot.”
But that narrative began to unravel in mid-January, when Rodriguez removed him from his post as minister of Industry — an early indication that his influence was fading.
He was later detained in Caracas by the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN), an agency that had previously been seen as part of his protective shield. Since then, authorities appear to have been laying the groundwork for his potential transfer back to the United States.
At the time of his earlier release under Biden, Saab faced charges of conspiring to launder more than US$350 million linked to Venezuelan government food programs.
That Saab remains a high-priority target for Washington is evident from the extensive intelligence and diplomatic efforts deployed to secure his earlier capture in Cape Verde and extradition to U.S. soil.
His past declarations of loyalty to Maduro — including effusive praise upon his return to Caracas — have done little to alter his current trajectory. Rodriguez, by contrast, appears focused on avoiding Maduro’s fate and delivering on expectations from Washington.
The allies Saab once exalted have lost their influence; he now finds himself once again detained and potentially headed back to a U.S. prison, according to multiple reports.
Differences within Venezuela’s inner circle
While Saab may not rank among the regime’s most powerful figures, his potential extradition is likely unsettling key players within Venezuela’s structure. This includes officials outside the orbit of Jorge Rodriguez, head of the National Assembly, and Delcy Rodríguez herself, as well as influential figures such as Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Loópez.
His case could mark the beginning of an internal purge — whether prompted by U.S. pressure or driven by shifting alliances within the regime.
Venezuela’s authoritarian system appears to have evolved into a network of competing loyalties, where power hinges less on ideology and more on personal alignments. Efforts to project unity are increasingly strained, revealing fractures that are becoming harder to conceal.
These divisions may extend beyond the pursuit of power. Rodriguez’s decisions — and accusations that she betrayed Maduro — risk alienating more orthodox Chavistas, who see the vision of their “eternal commander” slipping away.
Saab is key in Maduro’s case
If Saab is ultimately extradited, he could become a pivotal figure in the case against his former patron. His knowledge of financial networks and hidden assets tied to Maduro and his inner circle may prove invaluable to U.S. prosecutors.
Now entangled once more with the U.S. justice system, Alex Saab, the Colombian businessman, may reconsider the stance he once expressed while imprisoned in Cape Verde, when he refused to sign “lies and slanders” against Maduro.
The balance of power has shifted dramatically since then. Maduro, once firmly in control, is now an inmate in a U.S. prison with little leverage left to offer.
In Caracas, the script appears to be firmly in the hands of Delcy Rodriguez and, increasingly, aligned with Washington’s expectations.