Fugitive Businessman Alvaro Pulido Taken into US Custody in Venezuelan Corruption Case

A businessman long sought by United States authorities for his alleged role in a massive Venezuelan bribery scheme has been taken into US custody, American officials announced on Sunday. Alvaro Pulido, 62, faces federal charges linked to the illicit procurement of lucrative Venezuelan state contracts.

Pulido was taken into custody following a joint investigation involving the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The US Department of State and the DEA had previously offered a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to his arrest. Officials have not detailed the specific circumstances surrounding how Pulido came into US custody. He is scheduled to make his initial appearance in a Miami federal court on Tuesday.

Allegations and Indictments

Pulido was indicted in Miami federal court in both 2019 and 2021 as part of a broader probe into his business partner, Alex Saab, an ally of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Federal prosecutors allege that Pulido and Saab operated a network of offshore shell companies to pay bribes to high-ranking Venezuelan officials. In return, the duo allegedly obtained state contracts valued at more than $2 billion to import food, medicine, and low-cost housing.

US Attorney General Todd Blanche stated in a social media post that Pulido's alleged actions exploited corrupt government assistance programs intended for critical public supplies to achieve personal enrichment, while utilizing the US financial system to execute the scheme.

Prior Background and Related Developments

According to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida, the Colombian-born Pulido has a prior history of drug trafficking, including a 1997 conviction in Italy under the name German Enrique Rubio.

Pulido was previously arrested in Venezuela in 2023 during a corruption crackdown involving the state-run oil firm PDVSA. That initiative was led by Delcy Rodríguez, who was serving as vice president under Maduro at the time. Rodríguez assumed the position of acting president following the removal of Maduro by the US military in January. Venezuelan authorities have not publicly commented on Pulido's transfer to US custody.

Pulido's business partner, Alex Saab, was deported to the US by Rodríguez in May. Saab entered a guilty plea in September regarding a related bribery case, agreeing to forfeit $195 million in illegal proceeds and cooperate with US authorities against Maduro and other individuals.