Businessman wanted for years for allegedly bribing Venezuelan officials finally in U.S. custody

A businessman wanted for years in the U.S. for allegedly paying bribes to top Venezuelan officials in exchange for lucrative state contracts in Venezuela has been taken into custody.

Pulido was taken into U.S. custody after an investigation led by the DEA, FBI and Homeland Security Investigations agencies, Nicole Navas Oxman, a Homeland Security Task Force spokesperson, said Sunday.

Venezuelan authorities have so far been silent about the arrest, reflecting the challenge acting President Delcy Rodríguez faces in appeasing elements of the ruling coalition that want her to resist attempts by the Trump administration to round up scores of Venezuelan insiders wanted by the U.S., sometimes for years, for serious crimes ranging from corruption to drug trafficking.

Prosecutors allege that Pulido, together with Saab, created a network of offshore shell companies to funnel bribes to top Maduro allies in exchange for contracts to import food, medicine and low-cost housing at a time of widespread hardship in the South American country.

Saab, who also hails from Colombia, was deported to the U.S. by Rodríguez in May. Last month, he pleaded guilty in a related bribery case, agreeing to cooperate against Maduro and other individuals and forfeit $195 million in criminal proceeds from the corruption scheme.

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