Families sue Maduro in US over alleged killings by police unit
Maduro lawsuit over FAES killings and torture in Venezuela Families seek justice in US court after failed accountability at home
Families of five Venezuelan men have filed a civil lawsuit in the United States accusing former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of overseeing a police unit linked to extrajudicial killings and torture.
The complaint, filed under the Torture Victim Protection Act, says Maduro created the Special Action Forces, or FAES, and controlled the unit while it operated between 2017 and 2021. The plaintiffs are seeking compensatory and punitive damages in federal court in New York.
The case adds another legal challenge for Maduro in the US, where he is already facing separate criminal charges. The families say they could not get accountability in Venezuela, and they point to reports from the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, and the US State Department as support for their claims.