**Title: U.S. Frees Maduro Ally in Exchange for Release of Americans Imprisoned in Venezuela**
MIAMI (AP) — The Biden administration announced on Wednesday the release of a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in exchange for the freedom of 10 Americans imprisoned in the South American country and the extradition of a fugitive defense contractor known as “Fat Leonard.”
The deal, which represents the U.S. government’s boldest bid to improve relations with Venezuela, was met with mixed reactions. The largest release of American prisoners in Venezuela’s history comes weeks after the Biden administration agreed to suspend some sanctions, following a commitment from Maduro and an opposition faction to work toward free and fair conditions for the 2024 presidential election.
The release of Alex Saab, a Maduro associate who was arrested on a U.S. warrant for money laundering in 2020, is a significant concession to the Venezuelan leader. U.S. officials said the decision to grant Saab clemency was difficult but essential in order to bring home the jailed Americans.
In addition to Saab, the deal guarantees the release of 10 Americans who had been held in Venezuela, including six who have been designated by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained.
President Joe Biden expressed gratitude for the ending of the ordeal for the jailed Americans, while Venezuela’s government described Saab as “a victim” of “illegal detention” and characterized his release as a “symbol of victory” achieved through the country’s “peaceful diplomacy.”
The agreement also includes the extradition of Leonard Glenn Francis, a Malaysian defense contractor known as “Fat Leonard,” who is at the center of one of the largest bribery scandals in Pentagon history. Francis was arrested in a San Diego hotel nearly a decade ago and had been in custody since escaping while awaiting sentencing in 2022.
The deal’s announcement has raised concerns among some, including hard-liners in the Venezuelan opposition, who have criticized the U.S. for what they perceive as concessions to Maduro in exchange for the release of prisoners. However, the U.S. sanctions on Venezuela’s oil, gas, and mining industries will remain eased as part of the agreement, which also requires Maduro’s government to release 21 Venezuelans, among other conditions.
The U.S. has conducted several swaps with Venezuela over the past few years, the most notable being a deal in October 2022 for seven Americans in exchange for the release of two nephews of Maduro’s wife jailed in the U.S. on narcotics charges.
Alex Saab, 51, was pulled off a private jet during a fuel stop in Cape Verde en route to Iran, where he was sent to negotiate oil deals on behalf of Maduro’s government. The U.S. charges against him are conspiracy to commit money laundering tied to a bribery scheme that allegedly siphoned off $350 million through state contracts to build affordable housing for Venezuela’s government.
Meanwhile, millions of Venezuelans who have chosen to remain in their country continue to live in poverty, with the minimum wage being about $3.60 a month. Poverty and the high cost of living have led millions to leave the country in search of better opportunities.
The Biden administration defended the deal, saying that securing the freedom of wrongfully detained Americans and hostages abroad requires difficult dealmaking.
The exchange is the latest concession by the Biden administration in the name of bringing home Americans jailed overseas, fueling concerns about incentivizing hostage-taking and producing a false equivalence between Americans wrongfully detained abroad and foreigners properly prosecuted and convicted in the U.S courts.
Tucker reported from Washington. Associated writers Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas, Venezuela, Michael Balsamo and Jim Mustian in New York, Julie Watson in San Diego, and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.