A Colombian man, Álvaro Pulido, has been detained in the United States for allegedly laundering money that was illegally siphoned from a Venezuelan government welfare plan. The US Department of Justice announced that Pulido, 62, was arrested during a Homeland Security Task Force operation on Sunday, although further details regarding his custody were not disclosed.
Background
Pulido had been incarcerated in Venezuela since March 2023, facing accusations of diverting profits from the state-run oil company PDVSA. The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the State Department had previously offered a reward of $10 million (£7.5 million) for information leading to his arrest.
He is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, according to a statement from the US Attorney's Office.
Charges and Allegations
Pulido's arrest follows closely on the heels of Alex Saab, another Colombian businessman with connections to the Venezuelan government, who pleaded guilty to money laundering charges in a US court just two months prior. The US State Attorney's Office has charged Pulido in two separate federal indictments involving the alleged laundering of more than $2 billion (£1.5 billion) related to Venezuelan government bribery schemes.
