The United States has seized a plane used by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and flown it from the Dominican Republic to Florida, the Justice Department said.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Dassault Falcon 900EX jet was illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the US "for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies."
"Let this seizure send a clear message: Aircraft illegally acquired by the United States for the benefit of sanctioned Venezuelan officials cannot simply fly off into the sunset," said Matthew Axelrod, assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
US officials said the operation was carried out in close cooperation with the Dominican Republic, CNN reported.
The Venezuelan government described the seizure as "piracy" by US authorities.
"Once again, the authorities of the United States of America are engaged in a criminal practice that can be described as nothing but piracy," the State Department said in a statement.
A US Department of Justice investigation found that in late 2022 and early 2023, “individuals associated with Maduro used a shell company based in the Caribbean to conceal their involvement in the illegal purchase of the Dassault Falcon aircraft 900EX".
The plane was then smuggled out of the United States to Venezuela via the Caribbean last year and has been flying to and from a Venezuelan military base ever since. It was used for the benefit of Maduro and his representatives, including to transport Maduro on visits to other countries. I BGNES
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