Biden-Pardoned Maduro Bagman Re-Arrested plus Cubans Rise as Grid Fails and Regime Wobbles
The Ben Ferguson Podcast
iHeartPodcasts
4.8 • 5.4K Ratings
🗓️ 18 May 2026
⏱️ 30 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
1. Venezuela “Bagman” (Alex Saab)
- Alex Saab, is a wealthy ally of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, was:
- Previously arrested and accused of corruption
- Pardoned by Joe Biden (in a prisoner swap)
- Later deported again to the U.S. to face charges
- Saab was a potential key witness against Maduro
- Raises suspicion about why a pardon was granted
2. Cuba Crisis Narrative
- Cuba is experiencing severe systemic collapse, including:
- Electrical grid failure (20+ hours without power)
- Fuel shortages
- Food spoilage and hospital strain
- Public protests and unrest
Geopolitical angle:
- Presented as:
- A national security concern for the U.S.
- A situation that could lead to:
- Refugee surges
- Criminal activity
- Increased influence from China, Russia, or Iran
CIA involvement:
- CIA Director made a rare visit to Cuba
- Interpreted as a sign of serious instability or possible regime change
3. U.S.–Cuba–Venezuela Connection
- Cuba’s crisis to loss of Venezuelan oil support
- U.S. pressure/sanctions as accelerating collapse
- Coordinated geopolitical shifts in the region
4. Climate Policy Segment
- Criticizes the United Nations and climate initiatives
- Climate projections were exaggerated or incorrect
- Climate policy is politically motivated (“alarmism”)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is an I-Heart podcast. |
| 0:02.6 | Guaranteed Human. |
| 0:04.5 | I'm about to tell you a story that's a pretty interesting story. |
| 0:07.9 | And it involves Venezuelan dictator Nicholas Maduro's billionaire bagman. |
| 0:14.2 | Who's been arrested and extradited to the U.S. |
| 0:18.1 | Three years. |
| 0:19.9 | And this is where the story gets interesting. |
| 0:22.8 | After a Joe Biden pardon, |
| 0:28.3 | Venezuelan dictator Maduro's billionaire bagman |
| 0:31.5 | has been sent to the U.S. on Saturday. |
| 0:35.7 | The man's name was Alex Saab. |
| 0:38.1 | He's 54. |
| 0:39.8 | A Colombian Venezuelan businessman described by U.S. officials as a close ally to Maduro. |
| 0:46.3 | He was arrested in Caracas during a joint U.S. Venezuelan operation in February, according to a U.S. |
| 0:54.0 | law enforcement official. |
| 0:56.1 | This happened less than three years after this same bagman, Alex Saab, was pardoned by President |
| 1:05.4 | Joe Biden. |
| 1:08.2 | Venezuela Migration Agency said that Saab was deported the U.S. to face charges for notorious, quote-unquote, crimes that he had allegedly committed. |
| 1:20.3 | Now, Maduro was embracing Saab even at an event publicly in January of 2024. |
| 1:30.4 | Saab is apparently a crucial star witness in the Maduro case, |
| 1:36.4 | who is awaiting trial for his charges in Manhattan. |
| 1:41.3 | Saab was described as a Colombian citizen in the press release by the Venezuelan |
... |
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