Maduro-linked fugitive nabbed over alleged scheme to cash in on Venezuelans’ basic needs

Alvaro Pulido Vargas, a fugitive accused of enriching himself through Venezuelan government programs, has been arrested and is in U.S. custody. He faces charges in two separate money laundering schemes, allegedly involving bribery related to food and housing programs meant for Venezuelans. The schemes allegedly funneled approximately $1.6 billion and $350 million, respectively, through U.S. banks to hide illicit profits.

• Alvaro Pulido Vargas, 62, arrested in a Homeland Security Task Force operation and facing federal charges in South Florida.
• Accused of exploiting Venezuelan government programs for food (CLAP) and housing, allegedly enriching himself and others through bribery and inflated contracts.
• Schemes involved funneling billions of dollars through U.S. banks to hide illicit profits, with approximately $180 million moving through or into the U.S. in one case.
• Pulido Vargas was previously charged in 2019 and 2021, and convicted of drug trafficking in Italy in 1997 under an alias.
• Other individuals charged in the schemes include Pulido Vargas’s son and former Venezuelan state governor Jose Gregorio Vielma-Mora.
• Investigations are ongoing by the DEA, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations.