The United States seized an aircraft belonging to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday.
The seizure occurred in the Dominican Republic, where the plane was undergoing maintenance. CNN reported that the US believes the aircraft was purchased illegally and used for illicit activities.
US officials stated that the seizure was a result of an investigation into alleged corruption and sanctions violations by the Venezuelan government. A Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft was flown to Florida after being seized. US Attorney General Merrick Garland released a statement alleging that the aircraft was illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States.
The Justice Department stated that the plane was purchased from a company in Florida and illegally exported in April 2023. The plane was flown from the United States to Venezuela through the Caribbean. According to the Justice Department, the plane was used for Maduro's international travels and flew "almost exclusively to and from a military base in Venezuela." Records show that the plane's last registered flight was in March, flying from Caracas to the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo.
Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader confirmed that the plane was seized but stated that it was not registered under the Venezuelan government's name. Instead, it was registered under "the name of an individual."
Dominican Republic Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez added that the country's Attorney General's Office received an order last May from a national court to "immobilize" the plane. The US had requested that it be immobilized so they could search it for "evidence and objects linked to fraud activities, smuggling of goods for illicit activities and money laundering," he said.
US officials have been trying to disrupt the flow of billions of dollars to the Maduro regime for years. Homeland Security Investigations has seized dozens of luxury vehicles, among other assets, heading to Venezuela. "The plane was seized in violation of US sanctions with Venezuela and other criminal matters that we're still looking at regarding this aircraft," said Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations.
A high-ranking official from the Dominican Republic told CNN that Maduro's aircraft had been in Dominican territory undergoing maintenance at the time it was seized by US authorities. The source added that the government had no record that Maduro's private plane was in the country until it was seized. US officials worked closely with the Dominican Republic, which notified Venezuela of the seizure, according to one of the US officials.
The Venezuelan government issued a statement on Monday condemning the seizure of the aircraft as "piracy." They accused Washington of escalating "aggression" toward Maduro's government following a contested presidential election this July.
"Once again, the authorities of the USA, in a recurring criminal practice that could not be labeled anything but piracy, have illegally seized an aircraft that has been used by the president of the Republic, justifying its action in coercive measures that, illegally and unilaterally, they impose around the world," the statement said.
This latest incident further escalates tensions between the US and Venezuela. The US has long accused Maduro of corruption and drug trafficking and has imposed numerous sanctions on his government. In 2017, two of Maduro's wife's nephews were sentenced to 18 years in prison in the US for drug trafficking. They were later released in a prisoner exchange.
In 2020, the US Department of Justice charged Maduro with narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and corruption. The US is offering a $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest. The US has also expressed concerns about the legitimacy of Venezuela's recent presidential election, in which Maduro was re-elected.
The seizure of Maduro's plane is a significant development in the ongoing tensions between the US and Venezuela. The US alleges that the plane was purchased illegally and used for illicit activities, while Venezuela condemns the seizure as "piracy." The incident highlights the deep mistrust and animosity between the two countries.
