Following the election results in Venezuela, the United States is maintaining the weight of sanctions on the regime of Nicolás Maduro. For this reason, it was confirmed that Nicolas Maduro’s plane was confiscated by the administration of Joe Biden.
Nicolás Maduro’s Plane Was Confiscated
The United States seized the official plane of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in an operation carried out in the Dominican Republic and based on violations of sanctions against Venezuela. The information was announced by the US Department of Justice.
Through an official statement, the US government confirmed the information and announced the seizure of a Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft owned by Nicolás Maduro and people affiliated with him in Venezuela, which operated on his behalf.
⚡️The 🇺🇸US confiscated the plane of the “president” of 🇻🇪Venezuela Nicolas Maduro and just in the air directed it to Florida, – CNN
— MILITARY LIFE🪖 (@militaryy_life) September 2, 2024
Nicolas Maduro’s plane was seized in the Dominican Republic with the assistance of the country’s authorities and transferred to Florida for having been “illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies.” denounced Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.
U.S.A Vs Nicolás Maduro
Likewise, Garland added that the Department of Justice will continue to pursue those who violate sanctions and export controls to prevent them from using U.S. resources “to undermine the national security of the United States.”
The seizure is intended to send “a clear message” that aircraft “illegally” acquired from the United States for “the benefit of sanctioned Venezuelan officials cannot simply disappear,” said the Undersecretary for Export Control of the Department of Commerce, Matthew S. Axelrod.
The Miami Field Office of the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security is investigating the case, along with the Miami El Dorado Task Force of the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Over the years, the U.S. government has seized dozens of luxury vehicles, among other assets, headed to Venezuela, but never a vehicle of such relevance and symbolism.
In April, the United States partially reversed sanctions relief on Venezuelan oil and gas, accusing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of reneging on his electoral commitments by disqualifying opposition candidate María Corina Machado.
Since Venezuela’s July 28 elections, the United States has been highly critical of Maduro’s government. Last week, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the continued refusal of Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) to uphold international and Venezuelan standards of transparency is an “unacceptable violation” of the country’s laws.
This article was originally written by Miguel Fernández in Cultura Colectiva News.