US detains Colombian Alvaro Pulido over alleged $2bn

In short

Álvaro Pulido, 62, a Colombian national, was detained in the United States during a Homeland Security Task Force operation, the US Department of Justice said.
US prosecutors charged Pulido in two federal indictments involving the alleged laundering of more than $2bn in connection with Venezuelan government bribery schemes.
The US Drug Enforcement Administration and the US State Department had offered a $10m reward for information leading to Pulido’s arrest.
Pulido had been held in a Venezuelan jail since March 2023, accused in Venezuela of diverting profits from the state-run oil company PDVSA.
Prosecutors allege Pulido worked with Alex Saab to launder $350m from a separate bribery scheme involving Venezuela’s currency exchange system, using bank accounts in Florida.

Álvaro Pulido, a 62-year-old Colombian businessman accused of laundering money from Venezuelan government schemes, has been detained in the United States, the US Department of Justice said. Pulido had been jailed in Venezuela since March 2023 and was arrested during a Homeland Security Task Force operation on Sunday.

Who is Álvaro Pulido?

Álvaro Pulido is a Colombian national who had been held in a Venezuelan jail since March 2023, accused there of diverting profits from PDVSA, Venezuela’s state-run oil company. The US Drug Enforcement Administration and the US State Department had offered a $10m reward for information leading to his arrest.

What charges does Álvaro Pulido face?

The US Attorney’s Office said Pulido had been charged in two separate federal indictments involving the alleged laundering of more than $2bn in connection with Venezuelan government bribery schemes. US prosecutors say Pulido and four co-defendants bribed Venezuelan government officials to secure contracts to provide poor Venezuelans with food and medicine, overcharged the government and laundered the profits through bank accounts abroad, including in the United States.

How is his case linked to Alex Saab?

Prosecutors allege Pulido worked with Alex Saab, another Colombian businessman with close ties to the Venezuelan government, to launder $350m from a separate bribery scheme involving Venezuela’s currency exchange system, using bank accounts in Florida. Saab, who until recently was a powerful figure in the Venezuelan government and was named minister of industry in 2024 by the then-president Nicolás Maduro, has pleaded guilty to money laundering charges in a US court.

What is the wider context in Venezuela?

Nicolás Maduro was seized by US forces in a raid on Caracas in January and taken to New York to stand trial on drug-trafficking charges, a prosecution in which US prosecutors are expected to add torture charges. Less than two weeks after Maduro’s capture, Venezuela’s new US-backed interim government removed Saab from his post as industry minister, and in May it extradited him to the United States. The interim government has also freed political prisoners, according to the rights group Foro Penal.

What happens next?

Pulido is due to appear in court on Tuesday, according to a statement from the US Attorney’s Office. The Department of Justice did not provide further details about how he came into US custody.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Álvaro Pulido?

Álvaro Pulido is a 62-year-old Colombian businessman who had been held in a Venezuelan jail since March 2023, accused of diverting profits from the state oil company PDVSA. He was detained in the United States and is due to appear in court on Tuesday.

What is Álvaro Pulido accused of?

US prosecutors charged him in two federal indictments involving the alleged laundering of more than $2bn tied to Venezuelan government bribery schemes, and allege he worked with Alex Saab to launder $350m through Florida bank accounts.