Alvaro Pulido, indicted for allegedly bribing Venezuelan officials, has been taken into U.S. custody. His arrest follows the guilty plea of his business partner, Alex Saab.
American authorities announced on Sunday that Alvaro Pulido, a businessman wanted for years in the U.S. for allegedly paying bribes to top Venezuelan officials, has been taken into custody. Pulido was indicted in Miami federal court in 2019 and again in 2021 as part of an investigation into his longtime business partner, Alex Saab, a one-time ally of ousted President Nicolás Maduro.
Pulido was taken into U.S. custody following an investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations agencies, according to Nicole Navas Oxman, a Homeland Security Task Force spokesperson. Oxman did not specify how Pulido ended up in U.S. custody but stated that he will make his initial court appearance Tuesday in Miami.
The U.S. DEA and the State Department had been offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to his arrest. Attorney General Todd Blanche addressed the arrest in a social media post on Sunday, stating, "His alleged actions show a blatant disregard to the Venezuelan people by corrupting government programs intended to provide critical food, medicine, and housing for personal enrichment and exploiting the American financial system to do it."
Blanche further emphasized the Justice Department's commitment, writing, "No amount of time or distance will stop" the department "from working with our federal law enforcement and international partners to pursue these criminals and bring them to justice in an American courtroom."
Prosecutors allege that Pulido, together with Saab, created a network of offshore shell companies to funnel bribes to top Maduro allies. These bribes were allegedly exchanged for contracts to import food, medicine, and low-cost housing during a period of widespread hardship in Venezuela.
Pulido, who was born in Colombia, was previously arrested in Venezuela in 2023. This arrest was part of a broader crackdown on corruption inside the state-run oil company PDVSA, which was led by Delcy Rodríguez while she served as Maduro’s vice president. Rodríguez assumed the role of acting president following the U.S. military’s ouster of Maduro in January.
Venezuelan authorities have remained silent regarding Pulido's arrest. This silence reflects the political challenge facing acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who must appease elements of the ruling coalition that resist attempts by the Trump administration to detain Venezuelan insiders wanted by the U.S. for crimes ranging from corruption to drug trafficking.
The arrest follows recent developments involving Alex Saab, who also hails from Colombia. Saab was deported to the U.S. by Rodríguez in May. Last month, Saab pleaded guilty in a related bribery case. As part of his plea, Saab agreed to cooperate against Maduro and other individuals and to forfeit $195 million in criminal proceeds from the corruption scheme.
The custody of Alvaro Pulido marks a significant development in U.S. efforts to prosecute alleged corruption networks linked to the former Venezuelan government. The case highlights the ongoing legal and political tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela's acting leadership, particularly as key figures like Alex Saab begin to cooperate with American prosecutors. The outcome of Pulido's upcoming court appearance may provide further insight into the scope of the alleged bribery scheme and its impact on Venezuelan state contracts.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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