Saab Story: Maduro ally to appear in court on graft charges

By JOSHUA GOODMAN
Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) — A businessman who prosecutors say was the main conduit for massive corruption by Nicolas Maduro’s inner circle is to make an initial court appearance in Miami federal court after an extradition that has further strained relations between the U.S. and Venezuela’s socialist government. Only hours after Saab was placed on a Department of Justice aircraft on Saturday, Maduro’s government suspended negotiations with Venezuela’s U.S.-backed opposition. It also threw back into jail six American oil executives it accuses of corruption. They had been under house arrest in another politically charged case marked by allegations of wrongful detention.