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

> Alvaro Pulido Vargas, a Maduro ally, faces charges for laundering $1.6B in Venezuelan government contracts through U.S. banks.
- Title: Maduro-linked fugitive arrested in U.S. corruption scheme
- Summary: Alvaro Pulido Vargas, a Maduro ally, faces charges for laundering $1.6B in Venezuelan government contracts through U.S. banks.
- Keywords: alvaro pulido vargas, nicolas maduro, clap program, money laundering, venezuela, federal court, u.s. justice department, drug trafficking, narco-terrorism, news, politics, Maduro-linked
- Source: Fox News — https://foxnews.com/us/maduro-linked-fugitive-nabbed-alleged-scheme-cash-venezuelans-basic-needs
- Author: Stepheny Price
- Published: 2026-10-11T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: alvaro pulido vargas, nicolas maduro, clap program, money laundering, venezuela, federal court, u.s. justice department, drug trafficking, narco-terrorism, news, politics
## Alvaro Pulido Vargas arrested
Alvaro Pulido Vargas, 62, was arrested during a Homeland Security Task Force operation and is scheduled to appear Tuesday, Oct. 13, in federal court in South Florida.
## Charges against Pulido Vargas
Pulido faces two criminal cases alleging he helped funnel money from Venezuelan government bribery schemes through U.S. banks to hide illicit profits.
## Corruption scheme details
Prosecutors say Pulido and his associates paid bribes to win contracts, inflated prices to cover payoffs, and moved approximately $1.6 billion through U.S. banks from July 2015 to 2020.
## Previous convictions
Pulido was previously convicted of drug trafficking in Italy in 1997 under the alias German Enrique Rubio Salas and charged in 2019 and 2021.
## Alleged scheme impact
The scheme exploited government programs meant to provide food, medicine, and housing for Venezuelans, diverting resources for personal enrichment.
## U.S. response
Attorney General Todd Blanche accused Pulido of exploiting programs meant to provide essential supplies and housing for personal enrichment, warning others facing U.S. prosecution.
## What happens next
Pulido faces five money laundering charges in the 2021 case and eight additional charges in the 2019 case, with potential sentences of up to 20 years in federal prison.
## Key takeaway

Alvaro Pulido Vargas, a Maduro ally, faces federal charges for laundering $1.6 billion in Venezuelan government contracts through U.S. banks.