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US officials detained Álvaro Pulido, 62, in a Homeland Security Task Force operation on Sunday. Source: bbc.co.uk.
The US Department of Justice confirmed the arrest but did not explain how he came to be in US custody.
Pulido had been in Venezuelan jail since March 2023, accused of diverting profits from PDVSA, the state-run oil company.
He is due in court on Tuesday, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
Key Charges
Pulido faces two federal indictments over alleged money laundering tied to Venezuelan government bribery schemes.
Prosecutors say he overcharged the government for food and medicine contracts and moved profits through foreign bank accounts, including in the US.
He is accused of working with Alex Saab to launder funds from a currency exchange scheme using bank accounts in Florida.
Connection to Alex Saab
Earlier this year, Alex Saab pleaded guilty to money laundering charges in a US court.
After Nicolás Maduro was seized in a Caracas raid in January and taken to New York for drug trial, Saab was removed from his post as minister of industry.
The interim Venezuelan government expelled him in May and sent him to the US for trial.
Both Saab and Pulido are accused of using state resources to benefit private firms through inflated contracts and financial manipulation.
What to Watch Next
Legal proceedings for Pulido and his co-defendants are expected in the coming weeks.
Authorities may examine whether the overcharging and laundering broke international anti-corruption rules.
They may also investigate links between Saab and Pulido, especially how both used US-based accounts to hide illicit funds.
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