Maduro ally Alex Saab arrested in joint US-Venezuelan operation, official says

Key Highlights

• law enforcement official.
• Saab, 54, who had previously been held in the U. S., is expected to be extradited to the U. S.
• in the coming days, the U. S.
• official told Reuters. A lawyer for Saab, Luigi Giuliano, was cited in the Colombian newspaper El Espectador later on Wednesday, denying the arrest as "fake news." Journalists aligned with Venezuela's government also made social media posts denying that Saab had been arrested.
• Giuliano told Venezuelan news site TalCual that Saab may make an appearance to refute the arrest allegations himself but was consulting with the government about what had happened.