A federal judge in Miami has awarded $314 million in damages to three Americans who were imprisoned and allegedly tortured in Venezuela, ruling that they were victims of what the court described as a "criminal enterprise" led by former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The judgment is the largest of its kind involving Americans detained by Venezuela and marks another legal victory for former prisoners seeking accountability under U.S. anti-terrorism laws.
U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles issued the default judgment Tuesday after Maduro, businessman Alex Saab, five other defendants, and the alleged drug-trafficking organization known as the Cartel of the Suns failed to respond to the lawsuit. Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez was not included in the judgment after her attorneys argued she is immune from civil litigation in the United States as a sitting head of state.
