Judge Awards $314 Million to Americans Tortured in Venezuela

A federal judge in Miami has ordered $314 million in damages to be paid to three U.S. citizens who were jailed and tortured by Venezuelan officials before being freed in a 2023 prisoner swap. The judgment holds former President Nicolás Maduro, businessman Alex Saab, and other Venezuelan officials liable for what the court described as a 'hostage diplomacy' strategy Source: AP News.

The Ruling

Judge Darrin P. Gayles issued a default judgment on Tuesday against Maduro, Saab, five other individuals, and the 'Cartel of the Suns' after they failed to respond to the lawsuit. The ruling applied the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act, tripling a daily compensation of $20,127 per day of captivity Source: El País. Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela's acting president, was excluded from the judgment after her lawyers argued she had immunity as head of state Source: AP News.

The Allegations

Plaintiffs Jerrel Kenemore, Jason Saad, and Edgar Marval were arrested between 2022 and 2023 and held at military intelligence facilities in Caracas. They alleged beatings, electric shocks, stress positions, isolation, and psychological abuse. Kenemore, detained for 643 days, attempted suicide twice; Saad lost teeth and suffered tendon tears; Marval sustained a fractured back Source: El País. The court found these actions were intended to pressure the U.S. government, constituting international terrorism Source: AP News.

While the ruling is the largest such award to date, the order does not identify specific assets for collection, leaving enforcement uncertain Source: El País.