Alex Saab, who was closely associated with Nicolás Maduro, has been deported to the United States. This development comes after a change in Venezuela's political landscape following Maduro's ouster and capture by US forces earlier this year.
Despite constitutional prohibitions against the extradition of Venezuelan citizens, authorities determined that Saab, originally from Colombia, could be deported.
The decision to deport Saab reflects the current administration's distancing from Maduro's allies, indicating a significant shift in Venezuela's political dynamics.
Updates
Update at 03:57 UTC on 2026-05-17
Reuters World reported Venezuelan official Alex Saab, a Maduro ally, deported to US Reuters. Le Monde reported While the extradition of a Venezuelan citizen is technically prohibited under the constitution, the country's immigration authority determined that Alex Saab, an ally of Venezuela's captured former president Nicolas Maduro, was a Colombian.
Sources: Reuters World, Le Monde