The US government has seized an airplane belonging to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, claiming it violated US sanctions and involved other criminal activities.
On Monday, the US transported the plane from the Dominican Republic to Florida, according to US officials.
The seizure marks a worsening of the already strained relationship between Venezuela and the US, with the Biden administration continuing its investigation into alleged corruption within the Venezuelan government.
US officials described the plane, a Dassault Falcon 900, as Venezuela’s equivalent of Air Force One. It has been seen in photos from Maduro’s state visits around the world. The plane, valued at about $13 million, has been in the Dominican Republic for several months. Officials did not explain why it was there but used the opportunity to seize it.
“This sends a message all the way up to the top,” one US official told CNN. “Seizing a foreign head of state’s plane for criminal matters is unprecedented. We’re making it clear that no one is above the law or US sanctions.”
For years, the US has tried to cut off the flow of billions of dollars to the Maduro regime. Homeland Security Investigations has previously seized luxury vehicles and other assets destined for Venezuela.
The seizure involved multiple federal agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations, Commerce agents, the Bureau of Industry and Security, and the Justice Department. US officials coordinated with the Dominican Republic, which informed Venezuela of the seizure.
Once the plane arrives in the US, the next step will be pursuing forfeiture. The Venezuelan government will have the chance to petition for the aircraft and present evidence.
Recently, the US pressured Venezuela to release data on its presidential election, questioning the legitimacy of Maduro’s victory. After Maduro’s controversial reelection on July 28, Venezuela suspended commercial flights to and from the Dominican Republic.
In March 2020, the US Department of Justice charged Maduro and 14 other Venezuelan officials with narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and corruption. Former Attorney General William Barr stated that Maduro and his colleagues allegedly conspired with Colombian guerrillas to flood American communities with cocaine.
The State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs has offered up to $15 million for information leading to Maduro’s arrest or conviction.
