At least five inmates were killed during a riot at Venezuela’s high-security Yare-3 prison, located about 70 kilometers from the capital Caracas. The country’s Penitentiary Services Ministry confirmed the incident, which occurred on Monday, stating that clashes among prisoners escalated into a violent riot. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into the deaths, though no details about injuries or further circumstances were released.

Venezuela’s prison system has long faced criticism for overcrowding, insecurity, and the influence of criminal gangs inside facilities. Following the ouster of former leader Nicolás Maduro in January, a U.S.-backed administration took power and recently released at least 46 political prisoners from the same Yare complex. The Yare prison complex consists of three separate facilities, with Yare-2 known for housing political detainees.

The riot underscores ongoing instability within Venezuela’s penal institutions despite previous military operations aimed at restoring state control over prisons.