Miami prosecutors partly dismiss charges against Maduro ally

By JOSHUA GOODMAN
Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) — Federal prosecutors in Miami have dismissed several criminal charges against an ally of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as part of assurances it made to Cape Verde as part of a rancorous extradition fight.  Alex Saab now faces a single count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. If found guilty, he faces up to 20 years in prison — the maximum allowed by the African island nation when it agreed to send Saab to the U.S. last month. The case against Saab has further strained relations between Washington and Caracas while at the same time disrupting nascent talks between Maduro’s government and its opponents.