From Newsweek · · 1m 30s
Maduro Ally Arrested in $10M Bounty Case
Colombian drug trafficker Alvaro Pulido Vargas, alias German Enrique Rubio Salas, arrested in Florida for laundering millions through Maduro's regime.
In brief
Colombian drug trafficker Alvaro Pulido Vargas, alias German Enrique Rubio Salas, arrested in Florida for laundering millions through Maduro's regime. A convicted Colombian drug trafficker accused of profiting from Nicolás Maduro's Venezuelan regime faces U.S. charges after being arrested in Florida. Originally…
Arrest of Colombian Drug Trafficker
Alvaro Pulido Vargas, also known as German Enrique Rubio Salas, faces federal charges in Florida for allegedly laundering hundreds of millions of dollars through the U.S.
U.S. Bounty for Information
The State Department and Drug Enforcement Administration offered up to $10 million for information leading to Pulido's arrest.
Pulido's Legal History
Pulido was convicted in 1997 of drug-trafficking in Italy under his 'German Enrique Rubio Salas' alias and faces charges in two federal cases.
Connection to Maduro Ally
Pulido worked with Alex Saab, a former Maduro ally who pleaded guilty in September to a related money-laundering charge.
CLAP Program Scheme
Pulido and others used Venezuela's government-run food and medicine distribution program, CLAP, to secure contracts worth around $1.6 billion.
Money Laundering Details
Prosecutors say Pulido inflated contract costs, paid bribes to Venezuelan officials, and moved proceeds through bank accounts in several countries, including the U.S.
Next Steps for Pulido
Pulido is due in court Tuesday and faces one money-laundering conspiracy count and four money-laundering counts, each with a potential sentence of 20 years.
The essence
A convicted Colombian drug trafficker accused of profiting from Nicolás Maduro's Venezuelan regime faces U.S. charges after being arrested in Florida.
