Alex Saab, a Colombian businessman and key figure in the inner circle of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, is set to face a federal court hearing this Tuesday. Legal proceedings indicate that Saab is expected to enter a guilty plea in connection with long-standing money laundering charges.

Saab’s case has been a point of significant diplomatic tension between the United States and Venezuela for several years. Following his arrest and subsequent extradition to the U.S., the Venezuelan government has consistently maintained that Saab was acting as a diplomatic envoy, a claim that U.S. authorities have rejected. The upcoming plea deal marks a major development in a case that has complicated international relations and sanctions enforcement against the Maduro administration. While the specific details of the plea agreement remain subject to court confirmation, the development suggests a resolution to the criminal proceedings that have kept Saab in U.S. custody since his extradition.