NEW YORK – Five Venezuelan families have filed a civil lawsuit in a U.S. federal court accusing former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of ordering extrajudicial killings allegedly carried out by Venezuela's now-disbanded Special Action Forces (FAES) between 2017 and 2020.
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York under the U.S. Torture Victim Protection Act, which allows civil claims against individuals accused of torture or extrajudicial killings committed under the authority of a foreign government. The plaintiffs are seeking financial damages and are asking the court to hold Maduro personally liable for the deaths of their relatives.
According to the complaint, the victims were among those allegedly killed during operations carried out by the Fuerzas de Acciones Especiales (FAES), an elite unit of the Venezuelan National Police that was repeatedly accused by international human rights organizations of committing serious abuses, including unlawful killings. The FAES was dissolved in 2021 following years of criticism from the international community, including the United Nations
The families argue that the killings were not isolated incidents but formed part of a broader pattern of state-sponsored violence. The lawsuit alleges that FAES officers routinely entered homes before dawn, separated young men from their families, fatally shot them, and later claimed the victims had died after "resisting authority.
The plaintiffs contend they were unable to obtain justice in Venezuela, claiming that the country's judicial system failed to adequately investigate the deaths or hold senior officials accountable.
The civil case represents a separate legal matter from the criminal proceedings Maduro is already facing in the United States. It does not constitute a finding of guilt, and the allegations remain to be tested in court. The federal judge overseeing the case will determine whether the lawsuit can proceed and will evaluate the evidence presented by both sides
Maduro has not publicly responded to the allegations contained in the lawsuit. His legal representatives are expected to challenge the claims, and the case is likely to involve questions regarding jurisdiction and potential immunity.