Captured in Cape Verde Alex Saab, accused of being the figurehead of Nicolás Maduro

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(CNN Spanish) - Cape Verde authorities captured Colombian businessman Alex Naín Saab Morán on Friday, accused in the United States of bribing Venezuelan officials and money laundering. This was confirmed to CNN by his lawyer María Domínguez.

Domínguez said that the capture was made "after the activation of the Interpol red alert." The Colombian National Police confirmed to CNN that Saab Morán has a red Interpol circular.

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Domínguez declined to comment further on the circumstances in which Saab was arrested, nor on whether he will be extradited to the United States. or to Colombia, where he also faces criminal charges.

According to a Treasury Department statement of July 25, 2019, Saab benefited from "overpriced contracts," including Venezuela's government food subsidy program, and participated in illicit operations with that country's gold.

In that statement, Secretary Steven Mnuchin noted that "we are targeting those behind Maduro's sophisticated corruption schemes, as well as the global network of shell companies that benefit from the Army-controlled food distribution program."

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According to the Colombian Prosecutor's Office, "this person is pointed out by international agencies to be a figurehead for Nicolás Maduro and to seize millionaire resources destined for the purchase of food and markets that have reached higher and broken prices."

Nicolás Maduro