3-9-2024 (WASHINGTON) American authorities have confiscated an aircraft allegedly used by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The US Justice Department announced on 2 September that the plane was seized in the Dominican Republic and subsequently flown to Florida, citing violations of US sanctions as the grounds for this action.
This development comes amidst ongoing political turmoil in Venezuela, where Maduro’s claim of victory in the contentious 28 July election is being hotly disputed by the opposition. The seizure of the aircraft serves as a stark reminder of the continuing pressure being exerted on Maduro’s regime, both domestically and internationally.
The Venezuelan government swiftly condemned the seizure, labelling it as “nothing but piracy” and an “illegal and repeated criminal practice” by the United States. They confirmed that Maduro had indeed used the aircraft, which was also spotted in December images of Alex Saab’s homecoming – a businessman granted clemency by the US on money laundering charges as part of a prisoner exchange.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that the Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft, valued at $13 million (approximately £10.3 million), was illegally purchased through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States “for use by Nicolas Maduro and his cronies”. The Justice Department’s investigation revealed that individuals affiliated with Maduro allegedly used a Caribbean-based shell company to conceal their involvement in the illegal purchase in late 2022 and early 2023.
Matthew Axelrod, the US Commerce Department’s assistant secretary for export enforcement, emphasised the message behind this action: “Aircraft illegally acquired from the United States for the benefit of sanctioned Venezuelan officials cannot just fly off into the sunset.”
The seizure was executed in close cooperation with the Dominican Republic, according to US officials. A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council described it as “an important step to ensure that Maduro continues to feel the consequences from his misgovernance of Venezuela”.
This incident occurs against the backdrop of widespread international scepticism regarding the fairness of Venezuela’s recent election. Many Western countries have questioned the legitimacy of the process, with the US going so far as to congratulate opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez for allegedly winning the most votes, based on opposition-held vote tallies.
Maduro and his allies have pushed back against what they perceive as foreign interference, pointing to recent election controversies in the US and Brazil as evidence of what they term Western hypocrisy.
