The US government has seized a plane used by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
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US Justice Department said on Monday that the plane was seized over sanctions violations.
“The Justice Department seized an aircraft we allege was illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States for use by Nicolas Maduro and his cronies,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.
The aircraft is a Dassault Falcon 900EX. The US says it was illegally transported from the US to Venezuela via the Caribbean in April 2023.
It was seized in the Dominican Republic and flown to the State of Florida in southern USA.
While the Justice Department cited sanctions violation as the reason for the seizure, the National Security Council added that misgovernance of Venezeula.
“Maduro and his representatives’ have tampered with the results of the July 28 presidential election, falsely claimed victory, and carried out wide-spread repression to maintain power by force,” a US National Security Council spokesperson said.
The seizure of the plane “is an important step to ensure that Maduro continues to feel the consequences from his misgovernance of Venezuela,” they added.
Described by officials as Venezuela’s equivalent to Air Force One, the plane has been pictured in previous state visits by Maduro around the world.
“This sends a message all the way up to the top,” one of the US officials told CNN. “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 US sanctions.”
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.
Multiple federal agencies were involved in the seizure, including Homeland Security Investigations; Commerce agents, the Bureau of Industry and Security; and the Justice Department.
Nnamdi Maduakor is a Writer, Investor and Entrepreneur