Following his capture on January 3, will the Venezuelan dictator face the lawsuit from former American hostages against Maduro and the Cartel de los Soles currently in a Florida court, as well as other cases he’s accused of in various U.S. courts?
It’s too soon to tell, but the plaintiffs will certainly mobilize to make it happen. For now, we will provide details about the lawsuit filed by Jerrel Kenemore, Edgar José Marval, and Jason Saad, who were detained for nearly two years in Venezuela and were part of the group of ten Americans released by Maduro’s regime in December 2023.
The federal lawsuit filed in a Florida court by the aforementioned individuals and some of their family members accuses Nicolás Maduro, members of his entourage, as well as the Cartel de los Soles, PDVSA, and the Venezuelan Petroleum Corporation (CVP), of orchestrating a narcoterrorism operation to finance his authoritarian control.
The plaintiffs accuse the defendants of kidnapping and torture, claiming they were used as political bargaining chips to achieve the release of Alex Saab. They allege that the mentioned entities —Cartel de los Soles, PDVSA, and CVP— facilitated criminal activities, including cocaine trafficking and money laundering in the United States.
The Lawsuit from American Former Hostages Against Maduro
The lawsuit was filed on August 14, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida by Jerrel Kenemore, Edgar José Marval, Jason Saad, Rejeana Ann Tillery, Jerrell Lloyd Kenemore II, Tristan Alexander Lee Kenemore, Tina Rachel Porras, Lady Stephanie Schulman Morris, and the minors identified as SMS and MSM.
This lawsuit invokes the Anti-Terrorism Act and the RICO Act to hold the defendants accountable, namely Nicolás Maduro Moros, Vladimir Padrino López, Maikel José Moreno Pérez, Néstor Luis Reverol Torres, Tarek William Saab, Jorge Jesús Rodríguez Gómez, Delcy Eloina Rodríguez Gómez, Diosdado Cabello Rondón, Álex Nain Saab Moran, the Cartel de los Soles, PDVSA, and the CVP, who are accused of causing deep physical and psychological damage.
The plaintiffs argue that the defendants carried out a campaign of terrorism, kidnapping, and torture while running a transnational criminal enterprise financed by drug trafficking and money laundering. They seek economic compensation as victims, as well as for their families, due to the Venezuelan regime’s “hostage diplomacy” tactics that affected them.
Key Points of the Lawsuit
The key points of the lawsuit from American former hostages against Maduro and the Cartel de los Soles are as follows:
Terrorism Through Hostage-Taking
The accusation specifies that Maduro’s regime systematically kidnapped and tortured American citizens with the primary goal of using them as negotiation chips to gain concessions from the U.S. government. Specifically, they refer to the release of Álex Nain Saab Moran, a key financial operator for the regime awaiting trial for money laundering in Miami. The plaintiffs remained captives under inhumane conditions for periods ranging from 123 to 643 days.
Material Support for Terrorism
The plaintiffs argue that Nicolás Maduro’s actions were not isolated and were made possible by a criminal network that provided him with material support. This network, which includes all the defendants, is allegedly funded through two main channels:
Narcoterrorism: the Cartel de los Soles, described as an organization controlled by high-ranking regime officials, is accused of “flooding the United States with cocaine” as a “weapon” to destabilize the nation and generate billions in illicit profits.
Corruption and money laundering: PDVSA and its subsidiary CVP were allegedly the main vehicles for laundering assets from drug trafficking and massive embezzlement schemes, such as currency control scams. They allege that much of this illicit financial activity was channeled through South Florida.
Organized Criminal Enterprise (RICO)
The lawsuit frames the defendants as a “de facto association” or criminal enterprise under RICO. It describes a hierarchical structure where drug trafficking finances political and military loyalty, consolidating Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian power and ensuring impunity to continue criminal operations.
Legal Basis
The action is based on violations of the Federal Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), Florida’s Anti-Terrorism Act (Florida ATA), and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). They seek treble damages for the physical, psychological, and economic injuries suffered by the plaintiffs and their families.
Details of the Lawsuit and the Plaintiffs
The lawsuit details the profound physical, psychological, and financial trauma suffered not only by the kidnapped individuals but also by their children, spouses, and siblings.
The main accusations are for state terrorism and hostage-taking, using kidnapping as a political tool. A pattern of behavior by Maduro’s regime is described, consisting of the arbitrary detention of American citizens to use them as “bargaining chips.” Two key precedent cases are cited:
• The “Narco-nephews”: In October 2022, the U.S. released two nephews of Maduro’s wife, convicted of conspiracy to traffic cocaine, in exchange for the release of seven Americans, including five CITGO executives.
• Detention of Alex Saab: They claim that the capture and extradition to Miami of Álex Nain Saab Moran —”financial operator and money launderer for Nicolás Maduro”— triggered a “wave of kidnappings” to pressure Washington. The regime considered Saab a crucial figure with “intimate knowledge of their shady dealings,” and his release was a priority to demonstrate loyalty to his subordinates.
The Victims’ Ordeal
The General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM)—Maduro’s secret police—is identified as the executor of the detentions and tortures. The lawsuit details the experiences of each main plaintiff:
• Jerrel Kenemore (643 days of captivity): A Texas professional, was first kidnapped by an armed group at the Colombia-Venezuela border and later handed over to Venezuelan authorities. DGCIM falsely accused him of “espionage” and subjected him to psychological torture characterized by prolonged isolation, denial of sunlight, exposure to toxic gases, and deprivation of food, water, and medical care for his heart condition. He testified of witnessing the torture of other prisoners with electric shocks.
• Edgar Marval (123 days of captivity): A case described as brutal, he was subjected to sadistic beatings that broke his back, leaving him with chronic pain. He was also tortured with electric shocks, even to his genitals. DGCIM agents constantly threatened to kidnap his children and stole his life savings from his U.S. bank accounts after torturing him for his passwords. His wife and children were also threatened and harassed.
• Jason Saad (560 days of captivity): A worker in the jewelry and construction sectors, was kidnapped by DGCIM agents who accused him of being a “terrorist” and conspiring to assassinate Maduro. He was bound in stress positions causing tendon tears in his arms, was denied medical care for his injured shoulder, and suffered from untreated dental infections.
On December 20, 2023, the plaintiffs were released as part of a swap in which the U.S. released Alex Saab, an exchange that took place in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where Jorge Rodríguez was present. For Maduro, the agreement was seen as a “necessary victory to secure the continued and undivided loyalty of his subordinates.”
The Criminal Network: Material Support for Terrorism
The lawsuit alleges that the regime’s terrorism couldn’t be sustained without a vast criminal network providing financing and logistical support.
The Cartel de los Soles, a drug trafficking organization made up of high-ranking military officers and government officials, not only seeks profits but acts with the “express intent to flood the United States with cocaine to undermine the health and welfare of our nation,” using drugs “very deliberately as a weapon.”
Nicolás Maduro is identified as the cartel’s leader, alongside defendants Vladimir Padrino López, Néstor Reverol Torres, and Diosdado Cabello Rondón.
It is estimated that the cartel distributes approximately 450 tons of cocaine annually, accounting for about 25% of the global market. Profits exceed USD 5 billion a year.
The state-owned oil company PDVSA and its subsidiary CVP are accused of being the epicenter of the regime’s corruption and money laundering, functioning as a “massive money laundering operation in service of drug trafficking.”
Maduro consolidated his control over PDVSA by appointing Carlos Erik Malpica Flores, his wife’s nephew, as vice president of Finance. This company allegedly uses its own planes to transport cocaine for the Cartel de los Soles.
Furthermore, PDVSA channels billions through “oil swap” deals, fictitious infrastructure projects, and complex extraterritorial financial structures. Much of this illicit money is laundered through real estate and fake investment schemes in South Florida.
The lawsuit details an operation in which accomplices of the regime embezzled USD 1.2 billion from PDVSA by exploiting the difference between the official exchange rate and the black market. The lawsuit claims that 159 million euros from this scheme were allocated to Maduro’s stepsons, referred to as “Los Chamos.”
Roles of the Defendants
Let’s examine the roles of the main defendants according to the allegations in the document:
Defendant | Key Position/Affiliation | Main AccusationsNicolás Maduro Moros | Authoritarian leader of Venezuela | Orchestrating the kidnapping and torture of American citizens; leading the Cartel de los Soles; using narcoterrorism as a weapon against the U.S.; controlling PDVSA for corruption and money laundering.Cartel de los Soles | Drug trafficking organization | Trafficking tons of cocaine to the U.S.; generating billions for the regime; operating with the protection of high military and government officials.PDVSA / CVP | State oil company and subsidiary | Serving as the main vehicle for laundering drug trafficking money and corruption schemes; using its infrastructure (planes) for illegal activities.Vladimir Padrino López | Minister of Defense | Member of Maduro’s inner circle; high-ranking member of the Cartel de los Soles; allowing drug traffickers to pass through Venezuelan airspace in exchange for bribes.Diosdado Cabello Rondón | Minister of Interior, Justice, and Peace | Leader of the Cartel de los Soles; accused of narcoterrorism; using his position to facilitate drug trafficking, money laundering, and embezzlement.Alex Nain Saab Moran | Key financial operator | Money launderer for Maduro and the Cartel de los Soles; his detention in the U.S. was the catalyst for the plaintiffs’ kidnapping.Néstor L. Reverol Torres | Former director of the anti-drug agency | High-ranking member of the Cartel de los Soles; accused of accepting bribes from drug traffickers to protect their operations.Jorge and Delcy Rodríguez | President of the National Assembly and Vice President | Part of Maduro’s inner circle; sanctioned by the U.S. for helping Maduro maintain power and consolidate his authoritarian regime. Jorge Rodríguez oversaw the prisoner exchange.Maikel José Moreno Pérez | Supreme Court Judge | Sanctioned by the U.S. and accused of accepting bribes to alter judicial rulings; part of the corrupt structure guaranteeing impunity.