New indictments filed in US court against Nicolás Maduro and Venezuelan regime elite for kidnapping and narcoterrorism

Documents filed in August by a Southern District Court of Florida represent a major lawsuit against Nicolás Maduro, as well as several allies and collaborators in his entourage.

The individuals targeted include the top leadership of PDVSA, judges of the Supreme Court of Justice and members of the Cartel de Los Soles.

The lawsuit, which VOZ accessed, was filed by U.S. citizens who claim to have been direct victims of kidnappings, torture and threats orchestrated by the Venezuelan regime.

The lawsuit details how, in 2016, after the nephews of first lady Cilia Flores were convicted of drug trafficking in the United States, Nicolás Maduro kidnapped six American Citgo executives, who were taken to Helicoide Prison in Caracas, with the objective of using them as pawns to negotiate with Washington.

Likewise, the document reiterates that after the arrest and extradition of Alex Saab to the U.S. in 2020, accused of diverting more than $350 million in funds, the same type of retaliation by the Venezuelan regime was repeated.

Maduro does not act alone

Apart from Nicolás Maduro, the defendants also include top officials of the Venezuelan regime: Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, former Supreme Court President Maikel José Moreno Pérez, former Minister of Internal Relations Néstor Luis Reverol Torres; Attorney General Tarek William Saab, National Assembly President Jorge Jesús Rodríguez Gómez, Vice President Delcy Eloina Rodríguez Gomes, Minister of the Interior Diosdado Cabello Rondón, and Minister of Industries Alex Nain Saab Moran.

The document reiterates that Maduro cannot commit these acts of terrorism alone and that the other defendants provide him with material support, including a steady flow of millions of dollars from narco-trafficking, money laundering and assistance in evading U.S. sanctions.

According to the document, the drug trafficking has been carried out to the U.S., and the money laundering has likewise been carried out within the country, with "billions of dollars extracted from U.S. citizens."

According to the lawsuit, Nicolás Maduro "needed cash to purchase loyalty in Venezuela, cement his illegitimate authoritarian control over Venezuela, and continue to commit anti-American terrorism, including keeping Plaintiffs as captives in his dungeons."

Money is the lifeblood of terrorism, the document asserts, and without the willful support of the other defendants, Maduro's terrorism against U.S. citizens and the Venezuelan population would not be possible.

Imprisonment, torture and persecution

Plaintiffs Jerrel Kenemore, Edgar Marval and Jason Saad, according to the lawsuit, were caught in the indiscriminate web of hostage-taking by Nicolás Maduro following "the capture and legal extradition" of Alex Saab to Miami.

The document highlights that "Maduro held Mr. Kenemore, Marval and Saad captive in unspeakably harsh conditions for nearly two years," during which time the Venezuelan regime leader "was responsible for their torture at the hands of his secret police."

To give just one example, the lawsuit cites that "the sadistic beatings broke Mr. Marval’s back, and he remains in constant agony and in need of strong painkillers to this very day."

The document also describes how "Maduro subjected Mr. Marval to psychological torture, including constant threats by the DGCIM that if Mr. Marval complained or went public, his children would be taken away and he would never see them again."

Likewise, the lawsuit details how during his first 40 days of captivity, "Mr. Kenemore remained in isolation without food or water and routinely deprived of light. After the isolation period, he was moved to basement cells where he was further tortured."

Mr. Kenemore also suffered psychological abuse during his incarceration. This type of mistreatment, known as "white torture," was intended to break the mind without leaving visible scars.

The epitome of terrorism

Finally, according to the lawsuit, Maduro viewed the prisoner exchange through which he obtained Alex Saab’s release as an important victory, helpful for ensuring the continued undivided loyalty of his criminal network.

The document also asserts that "Maduro’s conduct—kidnapping U.S. citizens, torturing them, and using them as pawns to bargain with the U.S. government for the release of a Venezuelan criminal awaiting justice in Florida—is the epitome of terrorism. But so too is the very act (and crime) of providing Maduro with material support."