Fugitive businessman taken into US custody in Venezuela bribery case
Summary
Alvaro Pulido, a businessman wanted by the US for bribing Venezuelan officials to win state contracts, was taken into US custody. He was involved in a scheme with Alex Saab to funnel bribes in exchange for contracts worth over $2 billion amid Venezuela’s crisis.Key Facts
- Alvaro Pulido was indicted in US courts in 2019 and 2021 for bribery in Venezuela.
- The DEA, FBI, and Homeland Security helped arrest Pulido, with a $10 million US reward offered for information.
- Pulido is accused of using offshore companies to bribe Venezuelan officials linked to President Nicolás Maduro.
- The scheme involved contracts to import food, medicine, and low-cost housing during Venezuela’s humanitarian problems.
- Pulido has a past drug trafficking conviction from Italy in 1997 under a false name.
- Alex Saab, Pulido’s longtime partner, pleaded guilty in a related case and agreed to cooperate with US prosecutors.
- Venezuelan authorities remain silent about Pulido’s arrest amid internal political tensions.
- Delcy Rodríguez, acting president of Venezuela after Maduro’s removal, had arrested Pulido in 2023 during an anti-corruption crackdown.
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