The federal prosecutor's office in New York filed a new indictment on October 8 against Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores for alleged conspiracy to commit torture.
The criminal front joins a civil conviction issued months earlier in Florida, which also affects several officials who continue to hold positions under the interim presidency of Delcy Rodríguez.
In this civil process, Judge Jacqueline Becerra ordered on May 12 the payment of 300,425,616 dollars to Americans Matthew John Heath and Osman Imran Khan and their relatives for the kidnapping and torture they suffered in Venezuela. The ruling imposes joint liability on twelve individuals and four entities or organizations.
The defendants listed in the ruling (case no. 1:25-cv-20040-JB, document 67) are: Nicolás Maduro Moros, Cilia Adela Flores de Maduro, Diosdado Cabello Rondón, Vladimir Padrino López, Alex Nain Saab Morán, Tarek William Saab Halabi, Néstor Luis Reverol Torres, Iván Rafael Hernández Dala, José Miguel Domínguez Ramírez, Reynaldo Hernández, Marlon Salas Rivas, and Alexander Enrique Granko Arteaga.
In addition, four entities or organizations are also listed among those convicted by Judge Becerra: General Mining Company of Venezuela (Minerven), Segunda Marquetalia, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia–People’s Army (FARC-EP), and Cartel of the Suns.
Among those sentenced to pay the massive compensation, Cabello Rondón, Padrino López, Hernández Dala, and Tarek William Saab still hold positions in the Venezuelan state apparatus.
Of them, perhaps the most controversial case is that of Cabello, who remains at the helm of the Ministry of Interior, Justice, and Peace, despite the allegations connecting him to repression.
Diosdado maintains control over internal security
Cabello Rondón is among the officials identified by the Independent International Mission of the UN as those responsible for committing, ordering, facilitating, or contributing to human rights violations or crimes against humanity.
His continuity in the Ministry of Interior keeps one of the main officials identified by the repressive Chavista apparatus in a position of command.
The accusations against him also include corruption and drug trafficking.
In 2018, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned him and outlined his corruption network, attributing drug trafficking, money laundering, extortion, and misappropriation of public funds to him through his influence over state and military organizations.
In March 2020, the Department of Justice announced criminal charges against Cabello for alleged narcoterrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation, and firearm-related offenses. These accusations are separate from the civil conviction in the Heath case and do not equate to a criminal guilty verdict.
Also remaining in the upper echelons of the DGCIM is Alexander Granko Arteaga, another one of those convicted in Florida and one of the officials identified by the UN mission, according to the document on the continuity of the Venezuelan repressive apparatus.
They change positions but remain within the state apparatus
Padrino López, Minister of Defense for over eleven years, was removed from that position in March and appointed Minister of Agriculture and Lands by Delcy Rodríguez on April 13. His departure from military command did not mean his exclusion from the interim Government.
Hernández Dala, former director of the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence, took over as president of CANTV in November 2024, still under Maduro. The official appointment was recorded in Decree 5.044. As of September 2026, he was still identified as the director of the main state communications company.
Tarek William Saab, who led the Attorney General's Office during the captivity of Heath and Khan, was appointed in March head of the Great Mission "Long Live Venezuela, My Beloved Homeland", attached to the Office of the Presidency.
The UN mission identifies twelve individuals previously recognized as responsible for committing, ordering, facilitating, or contributing to human rights violations or crimes against humanity, along with six others who held positions of responsibility in institutions involved in repression.
Delcy Rodríguez is part of this second group, due to her previous position as vice president and her responsibility for SEBIN activities until 2021. She is not among those convicted in the Heath case, but she leads an administration that retains several of them in their positions.
Two victims and a pending sentence for collection
Heath, a veteran of the Marine Corps, was detained for 752 days; Khan, 259.
The lawsuit filed by their lawyers claims that they were subjected to torture and used as instruments of pressure to obtain concessions from Washington, including the release of Cilia Flores' two nephews imprisoned for drug trafficking. Both Americans regained their freedom in October 2022.
The ruling was issued due to non-appearance and grants 221.3 million in compensatory damages —including the tripling stipulated for claims under the Anti-Terrorism Act— and 79.1 million in punitive damages. The total corresponds to the entire group of defendants, not to each individual separately.
The sentence does not translate into English. Here is the original text provided: La condena tampoco equivale al cobro efectivo. El expediente judicial registra actuaciones recientes sobre embargos y disputas con entidades financieras y terceros, muestra de que la ejecución continúa.
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