The arrest of Venezuelan official Alex Saab has drawn renewed attention to his long‑reported financial and business links with networks associated with Hezbollah, underscoring concerns in some Lebanese and U.S. intelligence circles about the reach of Iran‑aligned groups in Latin America.

Saab, a Colombian‑born businessman and one‑time high‑ranking ally of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, was detained in Venezuela on Wednesday during a joint operation involving U.S. and Venezuelan authorities, Reuters confirmed. U.S. officials said he is expected to be extradited to the United States in the coming days as part of broader efforts to pursue corruption and money‑laundering charges. 

Although the Venezuelan government has not officially commented on the arrest, Saab’s capture has revived longstanding reports of his connections with transnational networks that purportedly include Hezbollah affiliates. Investigations conducted by U.S., Israeli, and Colombian authorities in past years linked Saab through a series of financial transactions to networks tied to the Lebanon‑based militant group, providing a rare glimpse into the complex web of interests connecting Caracas to Middle Eastern actors. 

Saab, 54, who held senior positions under both Hugo Chávez and Maduro, was born in Barranquilla to a family of Lebanese origin. He established extensive commercial operations in Venezuela, particularly in the oil and fuel trade, and forged business ties with Lebanese and Syrian businessmen who were active before the fall of the Assad regime in Syria. According to several reports, some of these commercial connections intersected with networks believed to operate on behalf of Hezbollah. 

Sources close to Arab media outlets Al Arabiya and Al Hadath have said Saab is of Shia heritage and has familial roots in Yaroun, a town in Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil district. His father emigrated early to Colombia, married into another community, and built a series of large business ventures before his death. Saab reportedly visited Lebanon only sporadically and maintained a low public profile during his rare trips to his ancestral hometown.

Over the years, Saab became a trusted figure in Caracas, earning praise from Maduro as a loyal ally and being described by supporters as a symbol of solidarity with Venezuela’s socialist cause. After his return to Venezuela in late 2023, he was appointed minister of industry, a post he held until last month.

Saab’s business dealings with Lebanese and Syrian figures in Venezuela have, according to analysts, been rooted mainly in commercial and financial exchanges tied to the region’s complex oil and import sectors rather than overt political alliances. However, the reported financial overlaps with Hezbollah‑linked networks have raised alarms among U.S. and allied officials, who view the group as central to Iran’s regional proxy apparatus.

The capture of Saab follows his earlier detention in Cape Verde in 2020 and subsequent transfer to the U.S. on corruption and money‑laundering charges involving tens of millions of dollars tied to Venezuelan state programs. He was later released in a prisoner swap and returned to serve in Maduro’s government.