US Takes Pulido Into Custody in Venezuela Bribery Case

Colombian businessman Alvaro Pulido was taken into US custody after a DEA, FBI and Homeland Security Investigations operation over allegations that he bribed senior Venezuelan officials to secure state contracts, according to American authorities. Pulido is scheduled to appear in a Miami federal court Tuesday.

Pulido, 62, had been indicted in Miami in 2019 and 2021 during an investigation connected to his business partner Alex Saab, a former ally of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The DEA and State Department had offered up to $10 million for information leading to his arrest.

US Attorney General Todd Blanche said Pulido's alleged conduct involved corruption of programs intended to provide food, medicine and housing in Venezuela.

"His alleged actions show a blatant disregard to the Venezuelan people by corrupting government programs intended to provide critical food, medicine, and housing for personal enrichment and exploiting the American financial system to do it," said Todd Blanche, Attorney General.

Blanche also addressed the Justice Department's continued efforts to pursue suspects in cooperation with law enforcement partners. His remarks followed Pulido's transfer into US custody, although authorities did not disclose how he arrived there.

"No amount of time or distance will stop" said Todd Blanche, Attorney General.

The Justice Department statement continued with Blanche's description of cooperation between US agencies and international partners in pursuing alleged offenders connected to the case.

"from working with our federal law enforcement and international partners to pursue these criminals and bring them to justice in an American courtroom," said Todd Blanche, Attorney General.

Venezuelan authorities have not publicly commented on the arrest, according to the Associated Press. The detention comes after Pulido was arrested in Venezuela in 2023 during a corruption crackdown involving state oil company PDVSA led by Delcy Rodríguez while she was serving as Maduro's vice president.

Prosecutors allege Pulido and Saab used offshore shell companies to direct bribes to Maduro allies in exchange for more than $2 billion in contracts involving food, medicine and low-cost housing imports. Saab pleaded guilty in a related bribery case and agreed to cooperate with US authorities while forfeiting $195 million in criminal proceeds, according to prosecutors.