Álvaro Pulido appears in US court on Venezuelan bribery and money laundering charges

Colombian businessman Álvaro Pulido Vargas appeared before a federal court in Miami following his extradition from Venezuela. He faces 13 counts across two separate federal indictments involving money laundering and conspiracy.

The 2021 indictment alleges a bribery scheme related to Venezuela’s government-controlled CLAP food and medicine program. Prosecutors claim Pulido and co-defendants secured lucrative contracts by bribing officials and subsequently inflated costs to fund the payments. The U.S. Justice Department alleges that approximately US$180 million was transferred through the United States, with other funds moving through bank accounts in Antigua and Barbuda and the United Arab Emirates.

A separate 2019 indictment involves Pulido and businessman Alex Saab regarding a scheme to obtain payments for low-income housing construction contracts in Venezuela. Prosecutors contend the pair used fraudulent import documents and bribed officials to access funds through the country’s controlled currency-exchange system, allegedly transferring roughly US$350 million out of Venezuela.

Pulido faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for several counts if convicted. His next court hearing is scheduled for November 4.