Alex Saab's money laundering trial set for September in US

A U.S. federal judge has scheduled the money laundering trial for Colombian businessman Alex Saab to commence on September 8. Saab faces charges of conspiracy and engaging in illicit financial transactions, with the trial expected to last approximately two weeks.

U.S. District Judge Lauren F. Louis set the trial date and outlined a procedural schedule, including a virtual hearing on September 1. This follows Saab's defense team's formal plea of "not guilty" on July 24, where they demanded a jury trial.

Saab, 54, first appeared in U.S. court on May 18, two days after his deportation to the United States. His legal journey includes an earlier encounter with the U.S. justice system following his 2020 arrest in Cabo Verde and subsequent extradition. However, in 2023, the Biden administration secured his release in a prisoner exchange with Caracas. He later assumed a ministerial role in Venezuela's government.

His recent deportation to the U.S. occurred after a U.S. military operation on January 3, which led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are currently detained in New York awaiting their own trial for drug trafficking, scheduled for June 2027.