CARACAS, April 22, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - At least five inmates died in a riot at a maximum security prison in Venezuela, officials said Tuesday.

The deaths occurred on Monday at the Yare III prison, about 70 kilometers (40 miles) outside the capital Caracas, when fighting among prisoners "escalated into a riot," the Ministry of Penitentiary Services said in a statement.

The statement identified the five inmates and said the Public Prosecutor's Office had launched an investigation, without providing any further details, including the number of injured.

Venezuela's prison system has faced frequent complaints of overcrowding and lack of security, with criminal groups exerting control in many facilities.

Ousted leader Nicolas Maduro ordered a military operation in 2023 to regain control of the nation's main prisons, after which dozens of prisoners were transferred to Yare III.

The Yare prison complex consists of three separate facilities, with Yare II known for holding political prisoners.

With Venezuela under a new US-backed administration after the ouster of Maduro in January, at least 46 political prisoners linked to the oil industry were released last week from the facility, an AFP team confirmed.