In brief
A 62‑year‑old Colombian national, Álvaro Pulido, has been taken into U.S. custody over accusations of laundering more than $2 billion tied to Venezuelan government contracts. Pulido, who was already jailed in Venezuela since March 2023, faced federal indictments for bribing officials and funneling illicit funds through U.S. bank accounts. His arrest follows the U.S. guilty plea of fellow Venezuelan ally Alex Saab and reflects a broader crackdown on corruption networks linked to the Venezuelan regime. The DEA had offered a $10 million reward for information leading to Pulido’s arrest, and he is slated to appear in federal court on Tuesday.
Detained in a U.S. Task Force Operation
Álvaro Pulido, 62, was taken into custody by the U.S. Department of Justice during a Homeland Security Task Force operation on Sunday. The circumstances of how he was brought to U.S. custody have not been released.
A Two‑Billion‑Dollar Scam
Pulido is charged in two federal indictments alleging that he laundered more than $2 billion – roughly $1.5 billion in U.K. pounds – that were siphoned from Venezuela’s state‑run oil company PDVSA and distributed through bribes to government officials. He is accused of over‑charging the federal government, then funneling the excess through overseas bank accounts, many of which were located in the United States.
Connection with Alex Saab
Investigators say Pulido worked with fellow associate Alex Saab, who recently pleaded guilty to laundering $350 million in a separate bribery scheme involving Venezuela’s currency‑exchange system. Saab, who once served as Maduro’s minister of industry, was extradited to the U.S. after the regime’s leadership was forced out.
Legal and Diplomatic Developments
The DEA and U.S. State Department had offered a $10 million reward for information leading to Pulido’s arrest. He is scheduled to appear before the federal court in early Tuesday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
A Pattern of Targeting Venezuelan Affiliates
Pulido’s arrest comes two months after Saab’s guilty plea, reflecting a concerted U.S. effort to crack down on money‑laundering networks tied to the Venezuelan government. The strategy follows the seizure of Nicolás Maduro himself in a January raid and the subsequent U.S.‑backed interim government’s removal of Maduro allies.
