The United States seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s plane and brought it to the United States on Monday, the Justice Department said in a statement, claiming the aircraft was exported from Florida in violation of US sanctions.
The department said the aircraft was identified as a Dassault Falcon 900EX, which was seized in the Dominican Republic and taken to Florida.
“This morning, the Justice Department seized an aircraft that we allege was illegally purchased for $13 million through a fake company and smuggled out of the United States for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said. “The Department will continue to prosecute those who violate our sanctions and export controls to prevent them from using U.S. resources to undermine the national security of the United States.”
The department said Maduro’s associates arranged to buy the jets from a U.S. company in South Florida for $13 million in late 2022 and early 2023. The planes were shipped to the Caribbean and then to Venezuela, violating U.S. sanctions and export controls, the statement said.
CBS Miami
Since then, the jet has “flown almost exclusively from a military base in Venezuela and has been used for the benefit of Maduro and his representatives, including carrying Maduro on trips to other countries,” according to the department. Online flight records show a plane with a similar tail number has been at airports in China, Cuba and Brazil since 2023.
CNN was the first to report the seizure of Maduro’s plane.
In June, Maduro claimed victory in his presidential re-election campaign, but the US and other countries have said he manipulated the results. Last month, the US recognized Maduro’s rival, Venezuela’s opposition candidate. Edmundo Gonzalezwas declared the winner, rejecting the Venezuelan government’s declaration that Maduro had won.
A National Security Council spokesperson said the US was “working to ensure that the will of the Venezuelan people, as expressed through the July 28 election, is respected” and called the seizure of the plane “an important step to ensure that Maduro continues to face the consequences of his misrule in Venezuela.”
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Contributed to this report.