Alvaro Pulido, a Colombian-born businessman accused of bribing top Venezuelan officials for state contracts, is now in U.S. custody after years as a fugitive, according to the Associated Press. Pulido’s Alvaro Pulido custody comes after a federal investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations, and he is scheduled to make his initial court appearance Tuesday in Miami.
The case against Pulido dates back to 2019, when he was first indicted in Miami federal court. He was indicted again in 2021. Both indictments stemmed from a broader U.S. investigation into his longtime business partner, Alex Saab, who was once a close ally of Venezuela’s ousted president, Nicolás Maduro, the AP reported.
What Happened In The Alleged Bribery Scheme
Federal authorities allege Pulido paid bribes to senior Venezuelan officials in exchange for lucrative state contracts, according to the AP. The U.S. government treated the case as significant enough to offer a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to his arrest, a joint effort by the DEA and the State Department.
Pulido was arrested in Venezuela in 2023 as part of a corruption crackdown targeting the state-run oil company PDVSA, an operation led by acting President Delcy Rodríguez, the AP reported. The specific circumstances of how Pulido moved from Venezuelan custody into U.S. custody were not detailed in the available reporting.
Responses From Those Involved
No statement from Pulido or his legal representatives regarding the allegations was included in available reporting. His business partner, Saab, also Colombian-born, took a different path through the legal process. Rodríguez deported Saab to the United States in May, and Saab pleaded guilty last month in a related bribery case, according to the AP.
As part of his plea, Saab agreed to cooperate against Maduro and other individuals tied to the scheme and agreed to forfeit $195 million in criminal proceeds connected to the corruption case, the AP reported.
What It Means For The Case
Pulido’s custody marks a significant step in a prosecution that has spanned more than six years, from his initial 2019 indictment through two rounds of federal charges. The specific counts he faces, along with the contracts and officials allegedly involved in the bribery scheme, were not detailed in available reporting. Those details are expected to come into clearer focus once Pulido appears in federal court.
Saab’s guilty plea and cooperation agreement could factor into how prosecutors build their case against Pulido, given the two men’s longtime business partnership, though no source has confirmed how the two cases will intersect going forward.
What’s Next
Pulido is set to appear in Miami federal court on Tuesday for his initial hearing. That appearance will likely provide the first public details on the formal charges he faces. No additional court dates beyond Tuesday’s hearing were available in current reporting.
For more on notorious fugitive cases, read about Frank Matthews, the criminal mastermind who escaped justice.
More Missing Persons / Fugitive Cases news from Total Apex Entertainment.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
