Venezuela’s immigration authority said in a brief statement that Saab’s deportation was linked to ongoing criminal investigations in the United States, although officials did not explicitly confirm his destination. The statement referred to Saab solely as a Colombian citizen, an apparent acknowledgment of Venezuelan constitutional restrictions prohibiting the extradition of Venezuelan nationals.

Saab, 54, was previously released and returned to Venezuela in 2023 after former U.S. President Joe Biden granted him clemency as part of a prisoner exchange between Washington and Caracas.The businessman had long been regarded by U.S. authorities as a key financial operator for Maduro’s government, helping manage overseas commercial networks and sanctions-sensitive transactions.

Maduro’s administration had described Saab as a diplomat carrying out humanitarian missions when he was detained during a 2020 refueling stop in Cape Verde while traveling to Iran.The latest move follows major political upheaval in Venezuela after Maduro’s removal from power earlier this year and the emergence of acting President Delcy Rodriguez as the country’s interim leader.

According to reports, Rodríguez removed Saab from his government positions after assuming office on Jan. 3, stripping him of influence over foreign investment channels tied to the Venezuelan state. Unconfirmed reports in recent months suggested Saab had been under detention or restricted movement inside Venezuela.

The Associated Press reported in February that U.S. federal prosecutors had intensified scrutiny of Saab’s alleged role in a bribery scheme linked to Venezuelan food import contracts under the government’s CLAP distribution program.The investigation reportedly stems from a 2021 U.S. Justice Department case involving Saab associate Alvaro Pulido.

Prosecutors in Miami have examined allegations surrounding contracts tied to the CLAP system, which was created to distribute subsidized food staples to Venezuelans during years of economic collapse, hyperinflation and shortages.

U.S. authorities have alleged that Saab accumulated substantial wealth through government-linked contracts and opaque financial arrangements connected to Venezuela’s state apparatus.The U.S. Justice Department did not immediately comment on Saturday’s deportation announcement.

The aircraft arrived Thursday at Piarco International Airport from the Bahamas for refueling before continuing onward to Libya through Cape Verde, according to the Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago.Immigration officials inspecting the aircraft found explosives onboard that had not been disclosed in accordance with international aviation and security procedures, the airport authority said in a statement.

Authorities detained the aircraft temporarily while conducting inquiries into the cargo documentation and security compliance. Officials later concluded that the crew and pilot bore no responsibility for the undeclared shipment.

“It was determined that no liability should be attributed to the pilot or crew,” the Airports Authority said, adding that the aircraft and personnel were subsequently authorized to leave Trinidad and Tobago.Officials did not specify the type or quantity of explosives being transported, nor did they disclose the aircraft’s ownership or final recipient in Libya.

Trinidad and Tobago, located off Venezuela’s northeastern coast, has long faced scrutiny from regional security agencies over narcotics trafficking and organized crime activity. The government has declared multiple states of emergency since 2021 in response to rising violent crime rates.

The incident comes amid heightened international monitoring of aviation cargo movements involving sensitive materials across conflict-linked transit routes.

A first group of passengers, all Spanish nationals and none displaying symptoms of infection, disembarked from the ship into small boats as the vessel approached the Port of Granadilla in Tenerife, Spain’s health ministry said.

Spanish officials said the passengers would be transported in sealed military buses directly to Tenerife’s airport before being flown aboard a government aircraft to Madrid for hospital evaluation and quarantine measures.

Authorities said all passengers would undergo testing by Spanish health officials before onward transport. Foreign nationals are expected to be repatriated in stages using specially arranged flights coordinated by their respective governments rather than commercial air services.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, or ECDC, classified all passengers and crew as high-risk contacts as a precautionary measure in rapid scientific guidance issued late Saturday. The agency said symptomatic passengers should receive priority medical evaluation and testing upon arrival and may either remain isolated in Tenerife or be medically evacuated home depending on their condition.

Thirty crew members are expected to remain aboard the vessel, which will later sail to the Netherlands for disinfection operations, according to Spanish authorities.The ship departed waters off Cape Verde earlier this week after the World Health Organization and the European Union requested Spain coordinate the evacuation effort following confirmation of the outbreak.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in Tenerife on Saturday alongside senior Spanish ministers to oversee preparations for the ship’s arrival and passenger transfer operations.The WHO said eight people aboard the vessel had fallen ill, including three fatalities involving a Dutch couple and a German national.

Six infections have been laboratory confirmed, while two additional cases remain under investigation.Hantavirus is primarily transmitted through exposure to infected rodents, though health officials say limited person-to-person transmission can occur in rare circumstances.

The WHO has assessed the risk to the wider global population as low while describing the threat to passengers and crew aboard the vessel as moderate.Spanish authorities said evacuation operations were expected to continue throughout the day under strict biosecurity protocols at Tenerife’s Port of Granadilla.

The WHO said at least one case of the rare viral infection had been confirmed, with one patient in intensive care in South Africa and two others awaiting possible medical evacuation from the vessel, which is currently stationed off Cape Verde.South Africa’s Department of Health said the first victim, a 70-year-old man, died onboard before his body was removed at Saint Helena.

His wife later collapsed at an airport in South Africa and died in hospital. A third victim remains onboard the ship.The cruise operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said local authorities in Cape Verde had inspected the vessel but had not authorized disembarkation. Two crew members with symptoms requiring urgent care remain onboard pending further decisions by health officials.

The ship departed Argentina around three weeks ago on a voyage that included stops in Antarctica and the Falkland Islands and was scheduled to end in Spain’s Canary Islands. South African officials said approximately 150 passengers were onboard, along with about 70 crew members.

Hantaviruses are primarily transmitted through contact with infected rodents and can cause serious illnesses, including hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a severe respiratory condition. While infections are rare, the WHO said limited human-to-human transmission is possible and investigations, including laboratory testing and epidemiological tracing, are ongoing.

A British national who fell ill after the ship left Ascension Island is currently being treated in Johannesburg. South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases has initiated contact tracing to assess potential exposure among individuals who may have come into contact with infected passengers.

The WHO said it is conducting a full public health risk assessment in coordination with national authorities and the ship’s operator, while medical care continues for those affected onboard.