Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro made headlines on Friday by appointing a close associate, Alex Saab, to his Cabinet. Saab, who was released last year by U.S. President Joe Biden as part of a prisoner exchange, has been given the role of minister of industry and national production. In this new position, Saab is responsible for advancing the industrial sector within what Maduro describes as a “new economic model.” The announcement of this significant appointment was made via the Telegram messaging platform.

Saab’s return to Venezuela in December marked the end of his captivity, which began in 2020 when he was arrested in Cape Verde based on a U.S. warrant that alleged his involvement in money laundering activities. U.S. prosecutors had identified him as a key intermediary for Maduro. His release was part of a broader negotiation with the Biden administration, which included Maduro freeing 10 American prisoners, along with a fugitive defense contractor known as “Fat Leonard,” who was facing serious charges linked to a major bribery scandal involving the Pentagon.

This exchange represented the largest repatriation of American detainees from Venezuela, occurring shortly after the U.S. government softened economic sanctions against the country. In return, Maduro had committed to working with the political opposition to ensure that the upcoming presidential election in 2024 it would be conducted under fair and equitable conditions. However, earlier this year, the U.S. reinstated those sanctions after it became apparent that hopes for a democratic transition had diminished.

In response to the controversial presidential elections held in July, which were widely criticized, the U.S. imposed sanctions on 16 individuals close to Maduro, accusing them of impeding the electoral process and engaging in human rights violations. Saab’s initial arrest in 2020 occurred while he was on a fuel stop during a trip to negotiate oil deals for Maduro’s government in Iran. The U.S. charges against him included conspiracy to commit money laundering, with allegations that he was part of a bribery scheme that misappropriated approximately $350 million through state contracts intended for affordable housing projects.

In addition to these allegations, Saab was also implicated in another scheme that reportedly siphoned off hundreds of millions of dollars from food-import contracts during a period of significant food shortages and widespread hunger in Venezuela. Following Saab’s arrest, the Maduro administration asserted that he was on a humanitarian mission and claimed that he held diplomatic immunity, thereby safeguarding him from criminal prosecution under international law.