Álvaro Pulido in U.S. custody, Miami appearance scheduled

Colombian businessman Álvaro Pulido is in U.S. federal custody and is scheduled to appear in Miami on October 13, as he faces two indictments alleging money laundering and bribery tied to Venezuelan government contracts. U.S. authorities said his custody followed an investigation involving the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations. Pulido, 62, had been held in a Venezuelan prison since 2023. His initial court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday, when a federal magistrate is expected to address his legal representation, the charges and preliminary detention matters. The hearing will not determine whether the allegations are proven. The circumstances of Pulido’s transfer from Venezuela have not been publicly explained by U.S. or Venezuelan authorities. A report citing federal sources said DEA agents removed him from prison with the approval of the government led by acting President Delcy Rodríguez. The publicly available information does not establish the legal mechanism used for the transfer or the status of Pulido’s Venezuelan proceedings. The 2019 and 2021 U.S. indictments describe two distinct alleged schemes.