Alex Saab, a Colombian-Venezuelan businessman and longtime ally of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, has been charged with money laundering in Miami. Known as the bag man for the former president, Saab is accused of bribing officials for government contracts and exploiting a Venezuelan welfare plan.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice and unsealed court filings, the money laundering charges are specifically connected to Venezuelan oil and food contracts.
After being sent to the United States over the weekend, Saab made his first appearance in a Miami federal courtroom on Monday.