Key facts
- Alex Saab is scheduled for a change of plea hearing before U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams in Miami.
- Saab was charged with conspiring to launder monetary instruments, accused of stealing millions from a Venezuelan welfare plan.
- Saab previously pleaded not guilty in July.
- Maduro is scheduled for trial on June 1, 2027, on drug trafficking charges.
- Maduro has claimed immunity from U.S. prosecution.
Alex Saab, a businessman with close ties to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, is expected to enter a new plea in a U.S. corruption case on Tuesday. Saab is scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams in Miami for a change of plea hearing. He was charged in May with conspiring to launder monetary instruments, with prosecutors alleging he stole millions of dollars from a welfare plan intended to help needy Venezuelans and transferred some proceeds to U.S. bank accounts.
Saab had previously pleaded not guilty in July, two months after being extradited. A change of plea hearing typically involves a guilty plea. It remains unclear whether Saab will enter a guilty plea, what specific charges would be involved, or if the plea includes any conditions.
Saab served as Venezuela's minister of industry under Maduro before being removed. This U.S. criminal case is the second against him; in 2020, he was detained in Cape Verde and extradited to face money laundering charges for allegedly siphoning $350 million from Venezuela in connection with a bribery scheme. Former U.S. President Joe Biden granted Saab clemency in December 2023 as part of a prisoner swap.
Separately, federal prosecutors are preparing to take Maduro to trial next year on drug trafficking charges. Maduro, who has claimed immunity from U.S. prosecution, is being held without bail in a Brooklyn jail. His trial is scheduled for June 1, 2027. Legal experts consider his claim of immunity an uphill battle, particularly as Washington has not recognized Maduro as Venezuela's president since 2019.