U.S. appeals court declines to rule on diplomatic status of Maduro ally Saab

FILE PHOTO: A woman holds a poster with the image of Alex Saab, a Colombian businessman with Venezuelan ties who was extradited to the U.S. on charges of money laundering, during a demonstration calling for his release, in Caracas, Venezuela April 4, 2022. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria

A United States appeals court said on Monday that it has declined to rule on whether Alex Saab, an ally of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro awaiting trial for money laundering, should receive diplomatic immunity.

U.S. prosecutors say Saab, a Colombia-born businessman who was extradited last year from Cape Verde, siphoned around $350 million out of Venezuela via the United States as part of a scheme that involved bribing Venezuelan government officials.