What are the next steps in Alex Saab’s extradition to the United States

Following the ruling of the Supreme Court of Justice of Cape Verde which authorized the extradition of Alex Saab, the Colombian businessman, leader of the dictator Nicolás Maduro, could be transferred to the United States in the coming hours.

Saab should be escorted to Amílcar Cabral International Airport, also known as Sal International Airport, because it is located on the island of Sal. It is the most important terminal in Cape Verde. There, he is expected to be taken care of by a team from the DEA, the US Drug Enforcement Administration, who will be in charge of the theft. However, it was not known exactly when this would happen.

“The Department of State (of the United States) has already been informed and will now proceed with the Department of Justice”Colombian newspaper reported Time, citing a federal source. Notification to Joe Biden’s government came from the foreign relations office.

According to the verdict of the Supreme Court of Justice of Cape Verde, to which the news agency had access EFE, Supreme Court dismissed Saab’s defense appeal and upheld lower court decision to approve businessman’s surrender, detained in the African country since June 12 at the request of the United States.

“The judges of the Supreme Court agree to dismiss the appeal and confirm, for all legal purposes, the contested decision“That is, the decision in favor of extradition handed down last year by the Barlavento Court of Appeal, based on the northern island of San Vicente, according to the decision.

The High Court says “confirm the judicial authorization to extradite the applicant (Saab) to the United States“.

The deliberation of the Supreme Court also considered that Cape Verde is not bound by the decisions of the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), who spoke out last Monday against the leader’s extradition and ordered his immediate release.

Therefore, according to the High Court of Cape Verde, the judgment of the ECOWAS tribunal will not be accepted by the judicial authorities of this West African island country.

The 49-year-old Colombian was arrested on June 12, 2020 when the plane he was traveling on stopped to refuel at Amilcar Cabral International Airport on the Cape Verdean island of Sal, following an American request via Interpol for money laundering.

Local media have, however, claimed that a final measure would be possible in Cape Verde’s Constitutional Court if the defense of Maduro’s alleged figurehead were to present an extraordinary appeal or habeas corpus that would delay the impending transfer in time. Meanwhile, preparations are already underway to place the Saab on a plane for drop-off in the United States..

The businessman, born in Barranquilla and of Lebanese origin, is linked to several companies, including Group Grand Limited (GGL), accused of providing food with additional costs for a Maduro regime’s aid program for the underprivileged, known as CLAP. A US government official said in July 2019 that with CLAPs, Saabs and three of Maduro’s stepchildren won “hundreds of millions of dollars“In a fallacious way.

The name Saab appeared in the media when Former Venezuelan prosecutor Luisa Ortega accused him in 2017 of being a figurehead of Maduro. According to the United States, between November 2011 and September 2015, Saab and his right-hand man, Álvaro Enrique Pulido, laundered up to $ 350 million defrauded through the exchange control system. Because they have colluded with others to launder their illicit proceeds and transfer them from Venezuela to US bank accounts, Washington has jurisdiction over this matter.

With information from EFE

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