Alvaro Pulido Vargas, a Colombian-born businessman who had been wanted by US authorities for years, has been taken into American custody over allegations involving bribery, money laundering and Venezuelan government contracts worth billions of dollars.
Pulido, 62, was indicted in federal court in Miami in 2019 and again in 2021. US prosecutors allege that he was involved in schemes linked to Venezuelan government contracts for low-income housing, food and medicine, working alongside his longtime business partner, Alex Saab.
According to the US Department of Justice (DOJ), Pulido was taken into custody following an investigation involving the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). He was scheduled to make his initial court appearance in Miami on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. The circumstances surrounding his transfer into US custody were not immediately clear.
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Who Is Alvaro Pulido?
Álvaro Pulido Vargas is a Colombian businessman who has faced US federal charges over his alleged involvement in financial transactions connected to Venezuelan government contracts. He is also known by the alias German Enrique Rubio Salas, according to US court documents.
Pulido came under scrutiny as part of investigations into alleged corruption involving government programmes and officials associated with the administration of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.
US prosecutors have alleged that Pulido and his business associates used corporate structures and international bank accounts to move money linked to contracts secured through alleged bribery. The investigations concern transactions involving Venezuela’s government-controlled currency exchange system and contracts for food, medicine and low-income housing.
The allegations are the subject of federal criminal proceedings. An indictment is not proof of guilt, and Pulido is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Álvaro Pulido Age
Álvaro Pulido is 62 years old, according to the US Department of Justice’s October 11, 2026, announcement concerning his arrest.
The DOJ identifies him as a Colombian national and states that he was indicted in two separate federal cases involving alleged money laundering linked to Venezuelan government bribery schemes.
What Is Álvaro Pulido’s Business Background?
Pulido’s business activities came under investigation because of contracts involving Venezuelan government programmes and financial transactions allegedly connected to those agreements.
In its 2021 indictment, the US government alleged that Pulido and several co-defendants were involved in a scheme to obtain and retain government contracts through Venezuela’s Local Committees for Supply and Production programme, commonly known as CLAP. The programme was designed to distribute food and medicine to Venezuelan residents.
Prosecutors alleged that the contracts were obtained through bribes and that contract prices were inflated to generate funds for corrupt payments. The indictment also alleged that money was transferred through bank accounts in multiple jurisdictions, including the United States.
The 2019 case involved a separate alleged scheme linked to Venezuela’s government-controlled currency exchange system and contracts to construct low-income housing.
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