Sources indicate that the detention would be linked to internal disputes within the Venezuelan power structure and the need to offer concrete signals of international judicial cooperation, as the country faces increasing diplomatic, economic, and judicial pressures. The potential extradition of Saab would have a high-impact political effect. The official secrecy reinforces the hypothesis that this is a developing case, handled with extreme caution due to its political and judicial implications. Meanwhile, the case once again places the financial plot that sustained the chavist regime for years at the center of the international stage and rekindles tensions between justice, diplomacy, and power in Venezuela, in a regional scenario that continues to be redefined. His arrest in Cape Verde in 2020 and subsequent extradition in 2021 constituted one of the biggest judicial blows against the international financial network of the Maduro regime.
Caracas, February 4, 2026 - Total News Agency - TNA - Consistent versions from TNA sources, as well as political and judicial sources in the region, indicate that the Colombian businessman Alex Saab, considered for years one of the main financial operators and alleged front man for the Nicolás Maduro regime, was detained in Venezuelan territory in the last few hours in an operation that would have also included the capture of another high-profile businessman linked to international corruption cases. According to the information gathered, Saab was taken into custody after a security procedure carried out in Caracas, in a political context marked by a profound reconfiguration of power in Venezuela and by sensitive negotiations with the United States. The same sources indicate that the detention once again opens the possibility of extradition to US territory, an option that had been ruled out after his release in 2023 as part of a political agreement between Washington and Caracas.
Alex Saab, born in Barranquilla, Colombia, was a key figure in the economic framework of chavism for over a decade. However, in December 2023 he was released in a prisoner exchange between the two countries, returning to Venezuela with political status and official protection. The new episode, if fully confirmed, would mark a significant turn. Judicial investigations and intelligence reports placed him as a central intermediary in the commercial operations of the Venezuelan state, especially in programs for importing food and strategic goods, through which millions of dollars were allegedly channeled through offshore structures and foreign accounts. In the United States, Saab was formally accused of conspiracy to launder money and financial fraud, in a case handled in the Southern District of Florida. Analysts warn that his testimony could compromise not only former Venezuelan officials, but also businessmen, intermediaries, and financial structures used to evade international sanctions. To date, there has been no official confirmation from Venezuelan or US authorities regarding the legal status of Saab or the situation of the second businessman allegedly detained. His knowledge of the internal workings of the chavist financial system, commercial triangulation mechanisms, and the names involved in major operations make him a potentially explosive witness for multiple regional actors.
