A federal judge in Miami has awarded $314 million in damages to three American citizens who were imprisoned in Venezuela. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge Bethlehem Gazzo, follows a lawsuit filed by Eyvin Hernandez, Jerrel Kenemore, and Joseph Cristella. The men were released in December 2023 as part of a prisoner exchange between the United States and the government of President Nicolás Maduro.
The plaintiffs alleged they were wrongfully detained and subjected to physical and psychological torture during their time in Venezuelan custody. According to the legal filings, the men were captured near the Colombia-Venezuela border in 2022 and held for nearly two years. The U.S. State Department had previously designated the men as wrongfully detained.
The $314 million award includes compensatory damages for the men and their families. While the judgment provides a legal victory for the plaintiffs, experts note that collecting such funds from the Venezuelan government is difficult due to existing sanctions and a lack of diplomatic relations. The plaintiffs' attorneys stated they may seek to recover the funds through Venezuelan assets frozen in the United States.
The Venezuelan government did not participate in the legal proceedings and has previously denied allegations of human rights abuses, maintaining that the Americans were detained for illegal entry and other state crimes. The ruling follows similar civil judgments against foreign governments designated by the U.S. as state sponsors of terrorism or those accused of arbitrary detentions.