Families File US Lawsuit Against Ex-Venezuelan President Maduro Over Alleged Extrajudicial Killings

Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is now confronting a civil lawsuit in the United States, brought by the relatives of five Venezuelan men. The complaint accuses Maduro of overseeing a specialized police unit allegedly responsible for extrajudicial killings and torture throughout his presidential tenure.

The legal action claims that Maduro established Venezuela's Special Action Forces, known as FAES, and maintained direct command over the unit as it purportedly engaged in a campaign of extrajudicial killings from 2017 to 2021. The plaintiffs are seeking both compensatory and punitive damages under the provisions of the Torture Victim Protection Act.

Allegations Against Special Action Forces (FAES)

According to the detailed complaint, officers from FAES routinely entered residences before dawn, typically dressed in black attire and with their faces covered. They allegedly separated young men from their families, forced many to their knees, carried out executions, and then manipulated crime scenes to suggest the victims had "resisted authority." The lawsuit further claims that officers looted homes, planted weapons on victims, and transported individuals to hospitals after they had already died, all in an alleged effort to conceal the killings.

The lawsuit chronicles five distinct incidents that occurred between 2017 and 2021, involving a total of six victims. It also alleges that FAES officers subjected three relatives to torture, through beatings, detention, or by forcing them to witness the killings, before these families were ultimately denied justice within Venezuela's judicial system.

The complaint asserts that Maduro created FAES in 2017 as a tactical unit within the National Bolivarian Police of Venezuela. It states that he later publicly defended the force, even in the face of widespread criticism from international bodies such as the United Nations and various human rights organizations. The lawsuit references reports from the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, and the U.S. State Department, which have documented numerous allegations of human rights abuses attributed to the unit.

Legal Grounds and Broader Implications

This lawsuit marks a second significant legal challenge for Maduro in the United States, where he is already awaiting trial on federal charges related to drug trafficking and weapons. The complaint specifies that the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York is the appropriate venue, citing Maduro's alleged current detention at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

The Torture Victim Protection Act empowers civil claims to be filed in U.S. courts concerning alleged torture and extrajudicial killings committed under the authority of a foreign government. The families involved in this case contend that they were unable to secure justice in Venezuela, as prosecutors either declined to initiate investigations or failed to hold high-ranking officials accountable, thereby leaving them without effective legal recourse in their home country.

Maduro served as Venezuela's president from 2013, with the complaint indicating his term was until 2026. In his existing criminal case, he has entered a plea of not guilty and has previously characterized himself as a "prisoner of war."