This is a news item that pretty much has not risen a peep in the US.

 A federal judge in the United States has rejected a plea for diplomatic immunity from businessman Alex Saab, a close ally of Venezuela’s left-wing President Nicolas Maduro.

Lawyers for the Colombian-born Saab, 51, have argued that the charges against him should be dismissed, as he was acting as a diplomat for the Venezuelan government.
Judge Robert Scola in Miami, Florida, dismissed those arguments in a 15-page ruling on Friday. Scola’s ruling asserts that since the United States does not recognise the legitimacy of Maduro’s second term, the court cannot recognise Saab as a representative of his government.

“Maduro’s regime has been deemed ‘illegitimate,’” Scola wrote. “Any claim to diplomatic immunity asserted by a representative of the Maduro regime must also be considered illegitimate.”
The decision continues a nearly two-year-long legal battle over Saab, which has heightened tensions between the US and Venezuela. Saab faces one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

US judge denies diplomatic immunity for Maduro ally Alex Saab | Government News | Al Jazeera

Here is the part of the article that made me laugh.

Maduro’s government has supported Saab’s claims that he was acting as a diplomat for the Venezuelan government, saying he was en route to Iran to negotiate an oil deal at the time of his arrest.

It would have been Saab’s third visit to Iran on behalf of Venezuela, his defence argues.

To bolster Saab’s request for diplomatic immunity, Saab’s lawyers offered notes they said were diplomatic communications between Iran and Venezuela as evidence to the US court.

Saab’s defence has also claimed he was carrying a sealed letter from Maduro himself, asking Iran’s leadership to support a deal to export fuel to Venezuela. The South American country was, at the time, experiencing extreme fuel shortages, with gasoline prices climbing to $10 a gallon.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Venezuela is sitting on the largest oil reserves in the world: 300 billion barrels. But Socialism has done such a shitty job with the industry that they need to make deals with other countries to buy black gold.

But have no fear, the Biden administration has come to the rescue of the corrupt regime:

The Treasury Department granted permission Saturday for oil giant Chevron to produce and export oil from Venezuela following the South American country’s decision to restart talks with opposition groups.

Biden gives Chevron permit to restart Venezuelan oil sales – POLITICO

Socialist assholes will help each other, especially if there is a positive cash flow.