A tense diplomatic standoff looms as the U.S. government prepares to confiscate another aircraft belonging to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's administration.
According to Just The News, the Trump administration is set to announce the seizure of a Dassault Falcon 200 aircraft currently stationed in the Dominican Republic during Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to Santo Domingo on Thursday.
The State Department has already set the wheels in motion by requesting a foreign-aid freeze waiver to cover more than $230,000 in storage and maintenance costs for the aircraft.
The Justice Department has given its approval for this expenditure, marking a significant step toward the planned seizure.
The impending seizure comes less than six months after U.S. authorities successfully confiscated Maduro's first aircraft, a Dassault Falcon 900EX, in September 2024.
That operation concluded with the plane being flown to Florida after officials determined its acquisition violated U.S. sanctions.
Former U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland revealed that the first aircraft, valued at $13 million, was purchased through a shell company and illegally transported to Venezuela via Caribbean routes in April 2023. The operation highlighted the U.S. government's commitment to enforcing sanctions against the Venezuelan regime.
A U.S. official involved in the first seizure emphasized the unprecedented nature of these actions, stating:
This sends a message all the way up to the top. Seizing the foreign head of state's plane is unheard-of for criminal matters. We're sending a clear message here that no one is above the law, no one is above the reach of U.S. sanctions.
The Venezuelan administration has strongly condemned these actions, characterizing the first plane seizure as an act of piracy. Their response to the U.S. government's actions was sharp and direct:
The United States has already demonstrated that it uses its economic and military power to intimidate and pressure states such as the Dominican Republic to serve as accomplices in its criminal acts. This is an example of the supposed 'rules-based order,' which, disregarding international law, seeks to establish the law of the strongest.
The targeted Dassault Falcon 200 has been used extensively by Maduro and his top officials, including his vice president and defense minister, for international travel. U.S. authorities assert that these flights to countries such as Greece, Turkey, Russia, and Cuba constituted violations of U.S. sanctions.
The Trump administration's aggressive enforcement of sanctions against Venezuela's leadership continues to escalate with this latest aircraft seizure plan. This second confiscation attempt targets a Dassault Falcon 200 aircraft currently located in the Dominican Republic, following the successful seizure of Maduro's Dassault Falcon 900EX in September 2024.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will announce these plans during his visit to Santo Domingo, which serves as the final stop in his comprehensive five-nation tour of Central America.
The operation represents another decisive step in the U.S. government's strategy to maintain pressure on the Venezuelan regime through strict enforcement of existing sanctions.
