US seizes Nicolas Maduro’s jet in Dominican Republic and flies it to Florida
Washington says aircraft purchase violates US sanctions
02 September 2024 - 23:08
byMatt Spetalnick and Jasper Ward
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Picture: Reuters/Fausto Torrealba
Washington — The US has seized an aeroplane used by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in the Dominican Republic after determining that its purchase violated US sanctions, the justice department said on Monday.
The aircraft was flown by officials to Florida in the US.
The seizure of the aircraft comes amid continuing pressure on Maduro at home and abroad over a contested July 28 election that he claimed to have won, while the opposition said its vote tallies showed its candidate to have soundly defeated him.
Maduro, his associates and the Opec member state’s oil sector are under heavy US sanctions, and his handling of the election has raised the prospect of further measures against him.
US attorney-general Merrick Garland said in a statement the Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft was illegally purchased for $13m through a shell company and smuggled out of the US “for use by Nicolas Maduro and his cronies”.
“Let this seizure send a clear message: aircraft illegally acquired from the US for the benefit of sanctioned Venezuelan officials cannot just fly off into the sunset,” said Matthew Axelrod, the US commerce department’s assistant secretary for export enforcement.
US officials said the seizure, which was first reported by CNN, was carried out working closely with the Dominican Republic.
The Venezuelan government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“This is an important step to ensure that Maduro continues to feel the consequences from his misgovernance of Venezuela,” said a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council.
A wide range of independent sources had shown that Maduro and his representatives “have tampered with the results of the July 28 presidential election, falsely claimed victory and carried out widespread repression to maintain power by force”, the spokesperson added.
A justice department investigation showed that in late 2022 and early 2023 “persons affiliated with Maduro allegedly used a Caribbean-based shell company to conceal their involvement in the illegal purchase of the Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft”.
The aircraft was then illegally exported from the US to Venezuela through the Caribbean last year and since then has flown to and from a Venezuelan military base and been used “for the benefit of Maduro and his representatives, including to transport Maduro on visits to other countries”, the department said.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
US seizes Nicolas Maduro’s jet in Dominican Republic and flies it to Florida
Washington says aircraft purchase violates US sanctions
Washington — The US has seized an aeroplane used by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in the Dominican Republic after determining that its purchase violated US sanctions, the justice department said on Monday.
The aircraft was flown by officials to Florida in the US.
The seizure of the aircraft comes amid continuing pressure on Maduro at home and abroad over a contested July 28 election that he claimed to have won, while the opposition said its vote tallies showed its candidate to have soundly defeated him.
Maduro, his associates and the Opec member state’s oil sector are under heavy US sanctions, and his handling of the election has raised the prospect of further measures against him.
US attorney-general Merrick Garland said in a statement the Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft was illegally purchased for $13m through a shell company and smuggled out of the US “for use by Nicolas Maduro and his cronies”.
“Let this seizure send a clear message: aircraft illegally acquired from the US for the benefit of sanctioned Venezuelan officials cannot just fly off into the sunset,” said Matthew Axelrod, the US commerce department’s assistant secretary for export enforcement.
US officials said the seizure, which was first reported by CNN, was carried out working closely with the Dominican Republic.
The Venezuelan government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“This is an important step to ensure that Maduro continues to feel the consequences from his misgovernance of Venezuela,” said a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council.
A wide range of independent sources had shown that Maduro and his representatives “have tampered with the results of the July 28 presidential election, falsely claimed victory and carried out widespread repression to maintain power by force”, the spokesperson added.
A justice department investigation showed that in late 2022 and early 2023 “persons affiliated with Maduro allegedly used a Caribbean-based shell company to conceal their involvement in the illegal purchase of the Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft”.
The aircraft was then illegally exported from the US to Venezuela through the Caribbean last year and since then has flown to and from a Venezuelan military base and been used “for the benefit of Maduro and his representatives, including to transport Maduro on visits to other countries”, the department said.
Reuters
Top court in Venezuela endorses Maduro’s disputed election win
Venezuelan opposition protests as election dispute drags on
Venezuela’s top court says opposition failed to submit proof in poll dispute
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most Read
Related Articles
Venezuela launches investigation into opposition leaders
Diplomats push for progress in Venezuela’s disputed election
Venezuelan opposition looks for narrowing paths to power
Protests sweep Venezuela as Maduro holds on to power
Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.