US Seizes Venezuelan President’s Plane

A plane used by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was seized by the United States. It was flown from the Dominican Republic to Florida after determining that its purchase violated U.S. sanctions. The U.S. Justice Department confirmed on Monday.

The seizure of the aircraft came amid continuing pressure on Maduro at home and abroad over elections. In the July 28 election he claimed to have won. However, the opposition says its copies of vote tallies show its candidate to be the victor.

Venezuelan Government Denounces Seizure

The Venezuelan government confirmed Maduro had used the plane. They said in a statement that the seizure was “nothing but piracy”, illegal and a “repeated criminal practice” by the U.S.

The plane was also visible in December images of the homecoming of Alex Saab. Saab is a businessman who was granted clemency on a U.S. money laundering charge. He returned to Venezuela as part of a prisoner swap.

Maduro and his associates are under heavy U.S. sanctions. His handling of the election has raised the prospect that further measures could be imposed.

U.S. Justice Department’s Investigation

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement that the Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft was illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the U.S. “for use by Nicolas Maduro and his cronies.”

“Let this seizure send a clear message: aircraft illegally acquired from the United States for the benefit of sanctioned Venezuelan officials cannot just fly off into the sunset,” said Matthew Axelrod, the U.S. Commerce Department’s assistant secretary for export enforcement.

U.S. Strategy Against Maduro Regime

On working closely with the Dominican Republic, the U.S. officials carried out the seizure, they said.

“This is an important step to ensure that Maduro continues to feel the consequences from his misgovernance of Venezuela,” said a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council.

Many Western countries have questioned the fairness of the election, with the U.S. congratulating opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez for winning the most votes.

Maduro and his ruling party allies have said other countries should not interfere in Venezuelan elections, citing recent election scandals in the United States and Brazil as evidence of what they say is Western hypocrisy.

A Justice Department investigation showed that in late 2022 and early 2023 “persons affiliated with Maduro allegedly used a Caribbean-based shell company to conceal their involvement in the illegal purchase of the Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft.”

The plane was then illegally exported through the Caribbean, from the United States to Venezuela last year.  Since then it has flown to and from a Venezuelan military base and has been used “for the benefit of Maduro and his representatives. This includes transport for Maduro on visits to other countries,” the Justice Department said.

(with inputs from Reuters)