The Biden Administration recently performed a prisoner exchange with Venezuela's Maduro regime, with one of the most high-profile prisoners the U.S. released being Alex Saab, a Maduro ally accused of bribery and money laundering. Several Florida lawmakers, including Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), Representative Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), and Representative Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) condemned the freeing of Saab, calling it the latest case of appeasement by America under Biden.
For additional context, Saab was extradited to the U.S. in 2021 for his supposed involvement in a money laundering scheme for Venezuela's benefit and helping the regime evade U.S. sanctions. In return, the Biden Administration bargained for the release of ten Americans and twenty Venezuelan political dissidents, including aides of opposition candidate Maria Corina Machado.
The most notable prisoner freed by Venezuela as part of the exchange was "Fat Leonard" Francis, accused of leading an extensive bribery scheme within the U.S. Navy throughout the Pacific, for which he pled guilty. However, Francis escaped house arrest and fled the country last September, only to be detained by Venezuela on his way to Russia.
Sen. Rubio called the exchange "shameless" in a recent statement, saying this further incentivizes America's adversaries to kidnap and detain Americans, echoing a statement by Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) in August after the Biden Administration paid $6 billion to Iran in exchange for five American hostages.
"President Biden’s actions to reward the taking of American hostages by first lifting sanctions, releasing Maduro’s nephews, and now Alex Saab is shameless. Saab is the architect of Maduro’s corruption and money laundering operation that deprived resources from the people of Venezuela. Unfortunately, this exchange will only embolden dictators to kidnap more Americans," said Sen. Rubio.
On X (formerly Twitter), Rep. Gimenez similarly called the exchange "pathetic" and warned of the same incentivization for kidnapping Americans.
"Denouncing the Biden Administration’s pathetic release of Maduro regime agent & crime lord Alex Saab back to #Venezuela! The Biden Administration’s dangerous actions are putting American citizens at risk of being kidnapped around the world," Rep. Gimenez tweeted.
Denouncing the Biden Administration’s pathetic release of Maduro regime agent & crime lord Alex Saab back to #Venezuela!
The Biden Administration’s dangerous actions are putting American citizens at risk of being kidnapped around the world. pic.twitter.com/M5H0bI7ipp
— Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez (@RepCarlos) December 20, 2023
Rep. Diaz-Balart called the exchange "the latest demonstration of the Biden Administration’s appeasement of the anti-American, narcotrafficking Maduro regime," adding it was "Infuriating and dangerous, but not a surprise."
Today, we see the latest demonstration of the Biden Administration’s appeasement of the anti-American, narcotrafficking Maduro regime. Infuriating and dangerous, but not a surprise.https://t.co/fMrkGD8aaq
— Mario Díaz-Balart (@MarioDB) December 20, 2023
