The Biden administration has released a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicol s Maduro in a swap for jailed Americans, The Associated Press has learned.
Alex Saab, who was arrested on a US warrant for money laundering in 2020, was released from custody Wednesday. In exchange, Maduro will free some, if not all, of the at least 10 US citizens who remain imprisoned in Venezuela, according to a person familiar with the situation who was not authorised to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The White House declined to comment.
On Friday and again on Monday, two docket entries were filed under seal in the long-dormant criminal case out of federal court in Miami, an indication that a behind-the-scenes deal was in the works. Saab’s release would be seen as a major concession to Maduro, an authoritarian leader who is himself the target of a 15 million US reward for anyone bringing him to New York to face drug trafficking charges.
The deal is also likely to anger the Venezuelan opposition, who have of late criticized the White House for standing by as the leader of the OPEC nation has repeatedly outmaneuvered the US govt after the Trump administration’s maximum pressure campaign failed to topple him.