Fugitive wanted for allegedly bribing Venezuelan officials taken in U.S. custody

A businessman wanted for years successful the U.S. for allegedly paying bribes to apical Venezuelan officials successful speech for lucrative authorities contracts successful Venezuela has been taken into custody.

Alvaro Pulido was indicted successful Miami national tribunal successful 2019 and again successful 2021 arsenic portion of an probe into his longtime concern partner, Alex Saab, a one-time state of ousted President Nicolás Maduro. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and State Department had been offering a reward of up to $10 cardinal for accusation starring to his arrest.

Pulido was taken into U.S. custody aft an probe led by the DEA, FBI and Homeland Security Investigations agencies, Nicole Navas Oxman, a Homeland Security Task Force spokesperson, said Sunday.

Oxman didn't accidental however Pulido ended up successful U.S. custody but said helium volition marque his archetypal tribunal quality Tuesday successful Miami.

Venezuelan authorities person truthful acold been soundless astir the arrest, reflecting the situation acting President Delcy Rodríguez faces successful appeasing elements of the ruling conjugation that privation her to defy attempts by the Trump medication to circular up scores of Venezuelan insiders wanted by the U.S., sometimes for years, for superior crimes ranging from corruption to cause trafficking.

The Colombian-born Pulido was arrested successful Venezuela successful 2023 arsenic portion of a sprawling crackdown connected corruption wrong state-run lipid institution PDVSA that was led by Rodríguez portion she was serving arsenic Maduro's vice president. She took implicit arsenic Venezuela's acting president pursuing the U.S. military's ouster of Maduro successful January.

Prosecutors allege that Pulido, unneurotic with Saab, created a web of offshore ammunition companies to funnel bribes to apical Maduro allies successful speech for contracts to import food, medicine and low-cost lodging astatine a clip of wide hardship successful the South American country.

Saab, who besides hails from Colombia, was deported to the U.S. by Rodríguez successful May. Last month, helium pleaded blameworthy successful a related bribery case, agreeing to cooperate against Maduro and different individuals and forfeit $195 cardinal successful transgression proceeds from the corruption scheme.

In:

• Venezuela