United States Seizes Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro’s Airplane

The United States has seized a plane belonging to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. US authorities reportedly said that the plane was bought illegally for $13 million and smuggled out of the US in violation of sanctions and export control laws. The US Justice Department said that the Falcon 900EX aircraft was seized in the Dominican Republic and transferred to Florida. 

According to a CNN report, the plane has been described by US officials as Venezuela’s equivalent to Air Force One, and it has been pictured in previous state visits by Nicolas Maduro around the world. The US Justice Department said that the aircraft was purchased from a company in Florida and was illegally exported in April 2023 from the US to Venezuela through the Caribbean. The aircraft was mainly used for Maduro's international travels. 

Venezuela’s government has confirmed the seizure and described the move as “piracy” in a statement. An official from the Dominican Republic told CNN that the aircraft had been in Dominican territory undergoing maintenance at the time it was seized. Venezuela’s election body has declared Maduro the winner of the July 28 vote, despite opposition allegations of widespread fraud. Several countries rejected the election results, and the Biden administration recognized opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of the disputed presidential election.