Marshall Billingslea, former assistant secretary for terrorist financing of the Treasury Department under the Trump administration, reacted this Wednesday to President Joe Biden's decision to exchange Alex Saab, an important ally of Nicolás Maduro, for several Americans kidnapped by the Venezuelan dictatorship.
Billingslea, who closely followed the investigation against Saab, shared a statement on X expressing his disagreement and concern about Biden's decision. The former Trump official recalled some of the crimes committed by the ally of the Venezuelan regime and explained why it is alarming that the U.S. president has used Saab as a bargaining chip.
“Alex Saab was sanctioned, accused of multiple criminal charges, arrested and extradited after several years of investigation,” said Billingslea, underscoring the collaboration of various U.S. agencies with other nations in Latin America, Europe and Asia to dismantle his extensive money laundering network.
2/6…para desbaratar su extensa red de lavado de dinero, que incluía robos al por mayor del programa de alimentos destinado a alimentar a los venezolanos desnutridos (CLAP)
Estaba traficando con oro saqueado de la ecocida minería a cielo abierto del Orinoco por parte del régimen
— Marshall S. Billingslea (@M_S_Billingslea) December 20, 2023
Billingslea pointed out that Saab not only stole from Venezuelans through a program that was supposed to feed low-income citizens, but also trafficked in gold looted from the Orinoco. “When he was arrested, he was in the middle of brokering deals with Iran, the main sponsor of terrorism in the world,” Billingslea highlighted.
'A hard blow to the credibility of the United States'
The former Trump official highlighted in his statement that Saab is possibly one of the worst figures in the Venezuelan regime and stressed that agreeing to his release not only sends a "disastrous signal" to the countries that collaborated with the U.S. justice system to capture Saab, but also represents "a hard blow to the credibility of the United States in the fight against corruption, especially in Latin America."
4/6 …a la credibilidad de EEUU en la lucha contra la corrupción, particularmente en América Latina.
Envía una señal desastrosa a los países socios que cooperaron con nosotros, creyendo que Saab enfrentaría la justicia, no más que Cabo Verde, quien lo extraditó a pesar...
— Marshall S. Billingslea (@M_S_Billingslea) December 20, 2023
However, Billingslea assured that the most regrettable part of Biden's decision is that it constitutes a "blow in the stomach" for the Venezuelan opposition. "Supposedly we are his friends, but we have just freed one of the worst thieves. But I guess it shouldn't surprise us that the 'Big Guy' in the White House doesn't care at all about Saab's corruption," he expressed with obvious indignation.
Billingslea had already warned about rumors circulating about the Biden administration's intention to release Saab, highlighting that doing so would imply sabotage of the court case against Maduro's collaborator. Their fears came true this Wednesday when it was announced that Saab would return to Venezuela in exchange for 36 prisoners being held by the dictatorial regime.
6/6 Pero supongo que no debería sorprendernos que al “Gran Tipo” de la Casa Blanca no le importe nada la corrupción de Saab.
— Marshall S. Billingslea (@M_S_Billingslea) December 20, 2023
