The U.S. Department of Justice announced that Alex Nain Saab Moran, Venezuela’s former Minister of Industry and National Production, made an initial appearance in federal court in the Southern District of Florida after an indictment was unsealed charging him with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Prosecutors allege he and others bribed Venezuelan officials to obtain contracts under the Comité Local de Abastecimiento y Producción food program, then used shell companies, false invoices, falsified shipping records and transfers through U.S. bank accounts to divert hundreds of millions of dollars meant to buy food for vulnerable Venezuelans. The charges are allegations, and Saab is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. According to the indictment, the scheme included falsely documenting food imports from Colombia and Mexico. It further alleges that from 2019 through at least January 2026 Saab and his co-conspirators gained access to billions of dollars of oil owned by Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. and sold it under false pretenses, with proceeds transferred to and through U.S. bank accounts to promote and conceal the CLAP scheme. Saab faces a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted.
U.S. Department of Justice2026-05-18
U.S. Department of Justice charges former Venezuelan minister Alex Saab over alleged laundering of hundreds of millions from CLAP contracts and PDVSA oil sales
The U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment and announced the initial court appearance of Alex Nain Saab Moran, Venezuela’s former Minister of Industry and National Production, on conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Prosecutors allege he and others bribed officials to secure contracts under the Comité Local de Abastecimiento y Producción food program and diverted hundreds of millions of dollars in Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. oil proceeds through shell companies, falsified trade documentation and U.S. bank accounts. Saab faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted and remains presumed innocent.