Diosdado Cabello says Alex Saab committed 'frauds,' including his identity card

The Venezuelan government defended on Monday the deportation to the United States of Alex Saab, alleged money launderer for Nicolás Maduro, arguing that it is a decision based on the country's interests and pointing out that the businessman has Colombian nationality and not Venezuelan. EFE "Any decision that the national government makes will be for the interest, which is the interest of Venezuela (...) there is no other consideration. Alex Saab is a citizen of Colombian origin, he performed functions in Venezuela and these are matters between the United States of North America and Alex Saab," said acting president Delcy Rodríguez in a broadcast on the state channel VTV. The president, who in 2023 celebrated Saab's return as a victory for the Venezuelan government after negotiations between the United States and the South American country, indicated that the businessman's deportation was "an administrative measure (...) justified in national interests." Previously, the Minister of Interior and Justice, Diosdado Cabello, indicated that Saab committed "frauds of all kinds," and noted that his deportation to the United States occurred because he is not a Venezuelan citizen. "When asked for his ID number, he said: 'I don't remember' (...) and as a result of that, well, a number of frauds against the Venezuelan state are also being investigated and when I speak of frauds, I speak of frauds of all kinds,'" explained Cabello at the weekly press conference of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). The party's secretary general also explained that Saab was deported to the United States in light of the investigation the businessman faces for money laundering in that country. Likewise, he said that the decision is also based on Article 271 of the Venezuelan Constitution, which states that "in no case shall the deportation of foreigners responsible for the crimes of money laundering, drugs, international organized crime, acts against the public patrimony of other States and against human rights be denied." Cabello said that according to US intelligence agencies and according to Saab's lawyer, the businessman had breached some agreements. "We did what was incumbent upon us, now I want to state that he is not Venezuelan, he is not Venezuelan, there is no document to support that he is Venezuelan," he insisted.