A fugitive businessman wanted in the U.S. for allegedly bribing top Venezuelan officials has been taken into custody. Alvaro Pulido, indicted in Miami federal court in 2019 and 2021, was taken into U.S. custody after an investigation led by the DEA, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations, according to Nicole Navas Oxman, a Homeland Security Task Force spokesperson. Pulido is scheduled to make his initial court appearance Tuesday in Miami.
Pulido’s arrest follows a years-long pursuit by U.S. authorities, who had offered a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture. Prosecutors allege he, along with longtime business partner Alex Saab, created a network of offshore shell companies to funnel bribes to top allies of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in exchange for state contracts. Saab, also Colombian-born, was deported to the U.S. in May and pleaded guilty last month in a related bribery case, agreeing to cooperate.
Pulido was arrested in Venezuela in 2023 as part of a corruption crackdown within the state-run oil company PDVSA, led by then-Vice President Delcy Rodríguez. Rodríguez later became Venezuela’s acting president following Maduro’s ouster in January. The U.S. has sought the arrest of multiple Venezuelan officials, including some accused of corruption and drug trafficking, though Venezuelan authorities have not publicly commented on Pulido’s detention.
Federal prosecutors allege the bribery scheme involved contracts for food, medicine, and low-cost housing during a period of widespread hardship in Venezuela. The case is part of broader U.S. efforts to hold accountable individuals linked to Maduro’s administration for alleged financial crimes. Pulido’s legal team has not yet publicly responded to the charges.