# Maduro-linked fugitive arrested in U.S. corruption case

> U.S. arrests Venezuelan fugitive Alvaro Pulido Vargas over alleged $1.6 billion scheme to exploit food and medicine programs.
- Title: Maduro-linked fugitive arrested in U.S. corruption case
- Summary: U.S. arrests Venezuelan fugitive Alvaro Pulido Vargas over alleged $1.6 billion scheme to exploit food and medicine programs. Alvaro Pulido Vargas, a…
- Keywords: alvaro pulido vargas, nicolas maduro, clap program, venezuela, federal court, money laundering, corruption, venezuelan government, news, entertainment, Maduro-linked, fugitive
- Source: New York Post — https://nypost.com/2026/10/12/us-news/maduro-linked-fugitive-alvaro-pulido-vargas-nabbed-over-alleged-scheme-to-cash-in-on-venezuelans-basic-needs
- Published: 2026-10-12T07:28:42+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: alvaro pulido vargas, nicolas maduro, clap program, venezuela, federal court, money laundering, corruption, venezuelan government, news, entertainment
## Fugitive arrested in U.S. custody
Alvaro Pulido Vargas, 62, was arrested during a Homeland Security Task Force operation and is scheduled to appear in federal court in South Florida on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
## Charges in two corruption cases
Pulido Vargas faces two criminal cases alleging he helped funnel money from Venezuelan government bribery schemes through U.S. banks to hide illicit profits.
## Alleged $1.6 billion scheme
Prosecutors say Pulido Vargas and his associates paid bribes to win contracts for the CLAP program, then inflated prices to cover payoffs and line their own pockets.
## CLAP program exploitation
The scheme ran from approximately July 2015 through at least 2020, involving $1.6 billion in Venezuelan government contracts to supply food and medicine.
## Bribes and inflated prices
Pulido Vargas and his associates allegedly paid bribes to win government contracts, then inflated prices to cover payoffs and line their own pockets.
## Additional charges in 2019 case
Pulido Vargas faces five money laundering charges in the 2021 case and eight additional charges in the 2019 case, each carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
## U.S. warning to others
Attorney General Todd Blanche warned others facing U.S. prosecution after arresting Pulido Vargas in a corruption case tied to Nicolás Maduro’s regime.
## Key takeaway

Alvaro Pulido Vargas, a Maduro-linked fugitive, faces federal charges for allegedly laundering $1.6 billion through Venezuelan government contracts to supply food and medicine.