Politics
U.S. seizes Nicolás Maduro's presidential jet in Dominican Republic
The plane, valued at $13 million, was illegally acquired through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States for use by Maduro and his inner circle
September 2, 2024 12:41pm
Updated: September 2, 2024 10:49pm
This Monday, the United States seized the official plane of the Venezuelan dictator, Nicolás Maduro, in the Dominican Republic, the result of economic sanctions imposed on Chavista officials by Washington.
In an official statement released by the Justice Department, the U.S. detailed its seizure of a Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft, owned by Maduro and those close to him in Venezuela.
The aircraft was seized in the Dominican Republic with the cooperation of local authorities and then flown to Florida. According to Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, the plane, valued at $13 million, was illegally acquired through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States for use by Maduro and his inner circle.
The federal investigation revealed that between late 2022 and early 2023, people affiliated with Maduro used a shell company based in the Caribbean to hide their participation in the illegal purchase of the plane from a company located in South Florida.
The plane was then illegally exported from the United States to Venezuela via the Caribbean in April 2023 and has since flown “almost exclusively to and from a military base in Venezuela and has been used for the benefit of Maduro and his representatives, including to transport Maduro on visits to other countries.”
In August 2019, President Biden issued an executive order prohibiting American citizens from engaging in transactions with persons who have acted or purported to act directly or indirectly for or on behalf of the Venezuelan government.
This seizure is intended to send “a clear message” that aircraft acquired “illegally” from the United States for “the benefit of sanctioned Venezuelan officials cannot simply disappear,” said Department of Commerce Undersecretary of Export Control Matthew S. Axelrod.
“No matter how luxurious the private jet or how powerful the officials, we will work tirelessly with our partners here and around the world to identify and return any aircraft illegally smuggled out of the United States,” he added.
The Miami Field Office of the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security is investigating the case, along with the Department of Homeland Security's Investigations division and its (HSI) Miami El Dorado Task Force.
In recent years, the U.S. government has confiscated numerous luxury vehicles and other assets destined for Venezuela, although never a vehicle with as much symbolism and relevance as Maduro's official plane.
This operation is part of the United States' continued pressure measures on the Venezuelan regime, especially after Maduro's re-election, which has been harshly criticized by Washington.
In April of this year, the United States partially reversed sanctions relief on Venezuelan oil and gas, accusing Maduro of failing to fulfill his electoral commitments, including disqualifying opposition candidate María Corina Machado.
Since the July 28 elections in Venezuela, the United States has been very critical of the Maduro regime.
Desde las elecciones en Venezuela del 28 de julio, Estados Unidos ha sido especialmente crítico con el régimen de Maduro.
