Key facts
- A federal judge awarded $314 million in damages to three Americans held and allegedly tortured in Venezuela.
- The plaintiffs, Jerrel Kenemore, Jason Saad, and Edgar Marval, were freed in 2023 as part of a U.S. swap for Alex Saab.
- Judge Darrin P. Gayles issued a default judgment against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and others for failing to respond to the lawsuit.
- The lawsuit alleged physical and psychological torture, including electrocution, stress positions, and beatings.
- The case sought damages under the Anti-Terrorism Act, which allows victims of foreign terror groups to seize assets of their victimizers.
A federal judge in Miami has awarded $314 million in damages to three American citizens who were allegedly tortured and held in Venezuela before their release in a prisoner exchange. Judge Darrin P. Gayles issued a default judgment against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, businessman Alex Saab, and five other defendants for failing to respond to the lawsuit.
The three Americans, Jerrel Kenemore, Jason Saad, and Edgar Marval, claimed they were subjected to severe physical and psychological torture, including electrocution, stress positions, and beatings, which continue to cause them anguish. They were freed in 2023 as part of a secret negotiation with the Biden administration that exchanged them for Alex Saab, a businessman described by U.S. officials as Maduro's bagman, who was awaiting trial in the U.S. on money laundering charges.
Rodríguez, Venezuela's acting president, was not included in the ruling after her legal team argued for her immunity from civil action in the U.S. The lawsuit was filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, a federal law that permits American victims of foreign terror groups to seize assets of their perpetrators. This case represents the largest judgment to date among several lawsuits filed on behalf of Americans imprisoned in Venezuela.