U.S. Seizes Socialist Dictator Nicolás Maduro’s Plane

The U.S. Department of Justice seized the plane of socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro on Monday after determining that it was illegally obtained.

U.S. officials seized the aircraft in the Dominican Republic and transferred it to the Southern District of Florida due to violations of U.S. export control and sanctions laws, the DOJ said in a statement.

Maduro’s Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft, purchased for roughly $13 million, was illegally purchased sometime between late 2022 and early 2023 by Maduro’s associates from a company in Florida.

The aircraft was illegally exported out of the U.S. and since then has “flown almost exclusively to and from a military base in Venezuela and has been used for the benefit of Maduro and his representatives, including to transport Maduro on visits to other countries.”

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The DOJ noted that sanctions signed by former President Donald Trump “prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with persons who have acted or purported to act directly or indirectly for or on behalf of, the Government of Venezuela, including as a member of the Maduro regime.”

CNN noted that the plane, which has been described as “Venezuela’s equivalent to Air Force One,” was undergoing maintenance in the Dominican Republic when it was seized.

“This sends a message all the way up to the top,” a U.S. official told CNN. “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.”

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida said the seizure illustrated “our unrelenting commitment to enforcing U.S. export control laws and imposing U.S. sanctions for any violations.”

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“This successful seizure was the result of planning, coordination, and execution by the United States government, with invaluable assistance by the authorities in the Dominican Republic,” he said. “Our office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to work to forfeit this plane and all other assets that circumvent the law.”