Venezuelan government calls US seizure of Maduro's plane piracy
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (photo: Getty Images)
The Venezuelan government has criticized the confiscation of a Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft by the United States, which had been used by Nicolás Maduro. Caracas condemned the action as piracy, according to Reuters and the US Department of Justice.
Venezuela's response
The Venezuelan government confirmed that Nicolás Maduro had used the Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft.
Venezuelan authorities described the confiscation of the aircraft as nothing short of piracy, deeming it illegal and a repeated criminal practice by the US.
What preceded this
Earlier on Tuesday, the US Department of Justice announced that the plane used by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had been seized due to imposed sanctions and violations of US export control and sanctions laws. The aircraft was confiscated in the Dominican Republic and sent to Florida.
In a statement, US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said that on September 2, the Department of Justice seized an aircraft that we allege was illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States for use by Nicolás Maduro and his associates.
Matthew Axelrod, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement at the U.S. Department of Commerce, noted that this confiscation was intended to send a clear message: sanctioned aircraft, illegally acquired in the US for the benefit of Venezuelan officials, cannot simply fly off into the sunset.
US investigation into the aircraft
According to the US investigation, individuals associated with Maduro allegedly purchased the Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft through a Caribbean shell company in late 2022 and early 2023. The aircraft was valued at approximately $13 million at the time.
"The aircraft was then illegally exported from the US to Venezuela through the Caribbean in April 2023," the US Department of Justice stated.
Since May of last year, the Dassault Falcon, with tail number T7-ESPRT, has been almost exclusively flying to and from a military base in Venezuela and has been used by Maduro and his representatives, the US authorities added.
Controversial elections in Venezuela
On July 28, Venezuela held presidential elections, where, according to official reports, the incumbent president, Nicolás Maduro, claimed victory. The opposition alleged that the results were falsified, leading to mass protests across the country. Both the US and the EU have refused to recognize the election results.
US President Joe Biden and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva specifically called on the Venezuelan government to release detailed voting data from the presidential elections.
Additionally, the US is reportedly considering offering Maduro a deal to step down from power in exchange for amnesty.
