In brief
Alvaro Pulido, 62, a Colombian national, was detained in the United States on Sunday after US officials concluded he was involved in laundering more than $2 billion from Venezuelan welfare programs. Prosecutors say Pulido used inflated contracts to secure food and medicine supplies for Venezuela, then redirected the profits into overseas accounts. He is tied to fellow Colombian businessman Alex Saab, who previously pleaded guilty to money‑laundering charges in a US court. Pulido’s arrest comes amid heightened US scrutiny of Venezuelan corruption following the raid on President Maduro and Saab’s extradition. He faces a court appearance scheduled for Tuesday and could face years in prison if convicted.
The Big Scoop
Alvaro Pulido, a 62‑year‑old Colombian, was taken into custody in the United States during a Homeland Security operation on Sunday. Pulido is accused of helping scam the Venezuelan government out of over $2 billion through bogus food and medicine contracts.
The U.S. Department of Justice says Pulido is charged in two federal indictments that detail how he over‑billed the state, then used bank accounts abroad—including in the U.S.—to wash the money. He isn’t alone: prosecutors say he worked with Alex Saab, a now‑exiled Venezuelan ally who pleaded guilty to a similar scheme a few months earlier.
Pulido’s arrest follows the high‑profile raid on Venezuela’s president and Saab’s extradition. It shows the U.S. cracking down on the tangled web of bribery that feeds the country’s political scandals.
He is due before a federal judge on Tuesday and faces the possibility of years behind bars if the charges stick.
