A Colombian man wanted by United States authorities in connection with an extensive multi-billion dollar money laundering and bribery conspiracy linked to a Venezuelan government welfare initiative has been taken into custody. The US Department of Justice announced that 62-year-old Álvaro Pulido was arrested on Sunday during an operation conducted by a Homeland Security Task Force, though officials did not immediately disclose the exact circumstances of how he came into US custody. According to a statement released by the US Attorney's Office, Pulido is scheduled to make his initial appearance in court on Tuesday.
Federal Indictments and Bribery Schemes
The US State Attorney's Office revealed that Pulido has been formally charged in two separate federal indictments involving the alleged laundering of more than $2bn in connection with various Venezuelan government bribery plots. US prosecutors assert that Pulido, operating alongside four co-defendants, offered substantial bribes to Venezuelan government officials in order to secure lucrative contracts aimed at supplying food and medicine to impoverished citizens in Venezuela. Investigators accuse Pulido of vastly overcharging the government for these essential supplies and subsequently funneling the illicit proceeds through foreign bank accounts, including several located within the United States.
Prior Detention and DEA Bounty
Before his recent transfer to US custody, Pulido had been incarcerated in Venezuela since March 2023 over allegations that he diverted profits belonging to the state-run oil company PDVSA. Furthermore, prosecutors allege that Pulido collaborated with another high-profile figure to launder $350m stemming from a separate bribery scheme that exploited Venezuela's currency exchange system by utilizing bank accounts based in Florida. Prior to his apprehension, the US Drug Enforcement Administration and the State Department had maintained a reward of $10m for actionable intelligence leading directly to his arrest.
Connection to Alex Saab Case
Pulido's detention unfolds merely two months after Alex Saab, another Colombian businessman with deep alliances within the Venezuelan political establishment, entered a guilty plea to money laundering charges in a US court. Saab had previously served as a powerful figure close to former leader Nicolás Maduro, who appointed him as the minister of industry in 2024. Following political shifts in Caracas, the US-backed interim government dismissed Saab from his ministerial role and extradited him to the United States in May, culminating in his guilty plea last month.
