Businessman Wanted in Venezuela Bribery Case Taken Into US Custody
Alvaro Pulido, indicted in Miami for allegedly bribing Venezuelan officials, has been apprehended following an investigation by multiple U.S. agencies.
A businessman wanted in the United States for allegedly paying bribes to top Venezuelan officials in exchange for lucrative state contracts has been taken into U.S. custody.
Alvaro Pulido was indicted in Miami federal court in 2019 and again in 2021 as part of an investigation into his former business partner, Alex Saab. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and State Department had offered a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to Pulido's arrest.
Pulido was taken into custody after an investigation led by the DEA, FBI and Homeland Security Investigations agencies, according to a spokesperson for a Homeland Security Task Force. The spokesperson did not provide details on how Pulido ended up in U.S. custody, but confirmed he is scheduled to make his initial court appearance Tuesday in Miami.
Venezuelan authorities have not yet commented on the arrest. Pulido was arrested in Venezuela in 2023 as part of a wide-ranging crackdown on corruption within the state-run oil company PDVSA. That crackdown was led by Delcy Rodríguez, who served as Maduro's vice president at the time and is now Venezuela's acting president.
Prosecutors allege that Pulido and Saab created a network of offshore shell companies to funnel bribes to high-ranking allies of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. These bribes were allegedly given in exchange for contracts to import food, medicine, and low-cost housing during a period of hardship in the South American country.
Alex Saab, also from Colombia, was deported to the U.S. by Venezuelan authorities in May. In the preceding month, Saab pleaded guilty in a related bribery case and agreed to cooperate against Maduro and others. He also agreed to forfeit $195 million in criminal proceeds from the corruption scheme.