Families of five Venezuelan men filed a civil complaint this week in the Eastern District of New York alleging Nicolás Maduro created and exercised command over Venezuela’s Special Action Forces (FAES) and that FAES carried out a pattern of extrajudicial killings and torture from 2017 to 2021. The plaintiffs say they seek compensatory and punitive damages under the Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA). These descriptions report what the complaint and cited human-rights documents allege; they are allegations that have not been adjudicated in U.S. court.
Key claims against Nicolás Maduro
The complaint, brought by the families of five men, alleges that Maduro established FAES as a special tactical unit of the National Bolivarian Police in 2017 and that he exercised effective command and control over FAES operations. According to the filing, FAES officers conducted predawn raids wearing black clothing and face coverings, removed young men from family homes, and summarily executed them. The complaint alleges officers staged scenes to suggest the victims had “resisted authority,” planted weapons, looted property and moved bodies to medical facilities to conceal unlawful killings.
Plaintiffs also allege that three relatives were beaten, detained or coerced to witness killings and that Venezuelan prosecutors failed to pursue meaningful investigations or hold senior officials accountable. The complaint frames these actions as violations actionable under the TVPA, a U.S. statute that allows civil suits for alleged torture and extrajudicial killings carried out under color of foreign authority. Plaintiffs are seeking both compensatory and punitive damages.
Why plaintiffs filed in the Eastern District of New York
The plaintiffs filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York and assert venue is proper because Maduro is currently detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn in connection with separate federal criminal charges. The complaint argues that Maduro’s detention in that district provides a jurisdictional link supporting the U.S. filing.
Maduro is separately charged in federal court in the United States with drug trafficking and related offenses and is detained pending those criminal proceedings. The civil TVPA suit is a distinct civil action; the complaint notes the civil claim does not replace or depend on the criminal charges, though the criminal case and any detention status are relevant to jurisdictional and practical considerations. If the Eastern District accepts the civil case, it could proceed on its own track while the criminal matter moves through federal court, subject to procedural rulings by the judge, including any immunity or service challenges.
Detailed incidents alleged (2017 to 2021)
The complaint outlines five separate incidents between 2017 and 2021 involving six named victims. Plaintiffs describe a recurring pattern they attribute to FAES: predawn entries into residences, separation of male family members from other household members, summary executions, and subsequent staging of crime scenes to portray confrontations with police. The filing alleges some victims were transported or moved to medical facilities after being shot, and that weapons were planted at scenes to support a narrative of resistance.
Three relatives are identified in the complaint as having been subjected to torture or cruel treatment—allegedly including beatings, detention and coercion to witness violence. The families contend Venezuelan prosecutors refused to pursue investigations or failed to hold senior officials accountable, leaving them without an effective domestic remedy; that asserted lack of remedy is part of the plaintiffs’ rationale for bringing a TVPA claim in U.S. court.
Evidence cited and human rights reports
The complaint cites witness statements and public reports by international and non-governmental organizations to support factual allegations. It specifically references findings and documentation from the United Nations, Human Rights Watch and the U.S. State Department that have criticized FAES and documented alleged human-rights abuses. Plaintiffs combine those reports with their own factual allegations and witness accounts; the complaint presents all of this material as allegations and the court would later determine admissibility and weight.
The complaint is a public court filing and, if available on the court docket or PACER, would provide the full text of the plaintiffs’ factual and legal assertions. Reporters have also summarized the filing; for example, Fox News published a story outlining the complaint’s core allegations (link included below).
Legal claims, remedies and what comes next
The plaintiffs bring claims under the Torture Victim Protection Act seeking compensatory and punitive damages for alleged extrajudicial killings and torture. Under the TVPA, civil suits may be brought in U.S. courts where plaintiffs allege foreign officials, acting under color of official authority, committed torture or extrajudicial killing.
If the court allows the case to proceed, typical early steps would include service on the defendant, potential motions to dismiss raising jurisdictional or immunity defenses, and disputes over proper venue and service. If those threshold matters are resolved, the case could move into discovery, which may involve requests for documents and depositions, or the parties could brief dispositive motions. Plaintiffs seek a civil remedy—financial damages and public findings—but a TVPA civil judgment does not carry criminal penalties.
Because the complaint notes Maduro’s ongoing federal criminal proceedings, issues could arise over the timing of discovery or whether certain litigation activities should be coordinated with the criminal case. The court will ultimately rule on procedural and substantive questions including any immunity defenses that Maduro or his counsel raise.
Next legal steps and context
After filing, the case could face early threshold challenges about jurisdiction, immunity and service. Suing a current or former head of state in U.S. court raises complex questions under U.S. law and international doctrines. Plaintiffs and defense counsel may file competing motions in the coming weeks or months that shape whether and how the case proceeds.
All descriptions above reflect allegations in the complaint and referenced reports. These allegations have not been proven in U.S. court; the judicial process will determine which facts are accepted as proven for purposes of any final judgment.
Source attribution
- Complaint and court filing as summarized in media reporting (civil complaint filed in the Eastern District of New York).
- Reports and findings cited by the complaint from the United Nations, Human Rights Watch and the U.S. Department of State, as referenced in the plaintiffs’ filing.
- News coverage: Fox News, “Families sue Maduro in US, accuse ex-president of directing police unit tied to extrajudicial killings” (link below).
All factual statements in this article that attribute conduct to Maduro or FAES are presented as allegations from the plaintiffs’ complaint or as summaries of cited reports. They have not been adjudicated by a U.S. court.
