The US has seized a Falcon 900EX jet linked to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, alleging it was purchased illegally for $13 million and smuggled out of the country. The aircraft was captured in the Dominican Republic before being transported to Florida, according to the US Justice Department.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The exact details of how the plane arrived in the Dominican Republic remain unclear. It was tracked leaving La Isabela airport near Santo Domingo on Monday and soon landed at Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida.
Venezuela has condemned the seizure as an act of “piracy.” Foreign Minister Yván Gil accused the US of enforcing “coercive measures” and stated that Venezuela reserves the right to pursue legal action to address the situation.
US officials claim the plane was seized due to violations of US export control and sanctions laws. They allege that a Caribbean-based shell company was used to mask involvement in the illegal purchase from a Florida company in late 2022 and early 2023. The plane was reportedly exported from the US to Venezuela through the Caribbean in April 2023.
The Venezuelan government has dismissed the US’s justification, with President Maduro frequently accusing the US of interfering in Venezuela’s internal affairs. A White House National Security Council spokesperson described the seizure as a step to hold Maduro accountable for his governance.
US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Markenzy Lapointe, acknowledged the support from Dominican Republic authorities in the operation. Matthew S. Axelrod from the Department of Commerce emphasized that the US will continue to work with global partners to recover smuggled aircraft.
Tracking data indicates the plane was flown to Caracas after arriving in Kingston, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and was used predominantly for military-related flights within Venezuela. The Venezuelan government had suspended commercial flights to the Dominican Republic and Panama in response to the controversial re-election of Maduro.
Opposition leader Edmundo González has claimed victory in recent elections, though this result has not been recognized by the electoral council loyal to Maduro. The US, along with several Latin American countries and the European Union, has expressed doubts about the legitimacy of Maduro’s re-election. The US State Department has also offered a $15 million reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest or conviction.
