Biden-Harris Administration Seizes Venezuelan President’s Plane in the Dominican Republic

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The U.S. government has seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s airplane in the Dominican Republic, according to a report.

The plane, referred to by U.S. officials as Venezuela’s equivalent of Air Force One, was brought to Florida on Monday after being found in violation of U.S. sanctions, according to two U.S. officials who spoke to CNN.

“This sends a message all the way up to the top,” one of the officials told the outlet.

“Seizing the foreign head of state’s plane is unheard-of for criminal matters. We’re sending a clear message here that no one is above the law, no one is above the reach of US sanctions.”

Maduro’s plane, which is a Dassault Falcon 900, is estimated to be worth around $13 million.

In the past few months, the plane has been in the Dominican Republic for unknown reasons.

According to the outlet, several agencies took part in seizing the plane. Homeland Security Investigations, Commerce agents, the Bureau of Industry and Security and the Justice Department were all noted as being involved.

One of the U.S. officials said that the government also collaborated with the Dominican Republic, which notified Venezuela of the seizure.

The next steps involve pursuing forfeiture, allowing the Venezuelan government an opportunity to claim the airplane, and gathering evidence from the aircraft, CNN reported.

The apprehension of the plane is a result of the latest escalation between the U.S. and Venezuela after the reported corruption involving Maduro and the Venezuelan government.

The outlet reported that the U.S. has attempted to stop money from flowing into Maduro’s regime over the last few years. Homeland Security Investigations have captured several luxury cars and other assets on their way to Venezuela.

Last month, the U.S. government reported that there was no evidence of Maduro winning his presidential election in July.

In a statement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken bashed the National Electoral Council’s (CNE) vote tally, calling it “deeply flawed” and said that it did not represent the “will of the Venezuelan people, according to the New York Post.

Earlier this year, the US reinstated sanctions on Venezuela’s oil and gas sector due to the Maduro government’s refusal to permit a fair election.

At least 7.7 million Venezuelans have left the country as of June 2024.

“We see these officials and the Maduro regime basically fleecing the Venezuelan people for their own gain,” one U.S. official told CNN.

“You have people who can’t even afford a loaf of bread there and then you have the president of Venezuela jetting around in a high-class private jet.”