US seizes Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro’s $13M airplane: ‘We’re sending a clear message’
Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro’s plane was seized by US authorities i🌌n the Dominic🔴an Republic, according to a report.
𒐪The Dassault Falcon 900 — which has been pictured ꦬwith Maduro on state visits all over the world — was taken after US authorities determined that it was acquired in violation of US sanctions and other criminal issues, .
The US flew the plane to Florida on Monday, the sour༺ces ♎said.
“This sends a message all the way up to the top,” one of th𓆉e US officials 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.”
Maduro’s plane was eওstimated to be 𝓡worth about $13 million.
It was not clear why it had bee♚n in the🌺 Dominican Republic in recent months.
The seizure was executed by multiple agencies, i꧃ncluding Homeland Security Investigations; Commerce agents, the Bureau of Industry and Security; and the Justice Department, CNN said.
The US also worked closely with the Dominican Republic, which informed Venezuela of the seizure, one of the US officials𒀰 said.
The next ste🅷ps will be pursuing forfeiture – which will give the Venezuelan government a chance to petition for the airplane – and collecting evidence from the plane, the outlet continued.
The seizure is an escalation in the tense relationship between the US and Venezuela, as the US investigates alleged corruption wi🍸thin the Venezuelan government.
Over the years, the US has tried to disrupt the flow of cash to the Maduro regime, with Homeland Security Investigations seizing dozens of luxury cars and other assets en rout🐈e to the country, C🌟NN explained.
In August, the US said that there 🐭was 🍷no evidence that Maduro won the latest presidential election in July.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, 62, ripped the Maduro-controlled National Electoral Council’s (CN𓂃E) vote tally as “deeply flawed” and unrepresentative of the “will of the Venezuelan people,” in a statement released by the State Department.
The US also reimpose♚d sanctions on Venezuꦕela’s oil and gas sector earlier this year in response to the Maduro government’s failure to allow a fair election.
After the co🅘ntested July 28 election, Venezuela suspended commercial flights to and from thౠe Dominican Republic.
In March 202, the US Dep♚artment of Justice charged Maduro and 14 other current and former officials with narc﷽o-terrorism, drug trafficking and corruption.
There is a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to his arrest or convictioꦅn.
The situation in Venezuela has a major impact on US politics, as millions o🎀f migrants elect to leave the country in favor of cr🀅ossing the US-Mexico border.
As of June 2024, 7.7 million𝕴 people have fled Venezuela – the largest displacement in the Western hemisphere.
“We see these officials and the Maduro regime🌜 basically fleecing the Venezuelan people for their own gain,” a US of💟ficial told CNN.
“You have people who can’t even afford a loaf of bread there and then you have the presidentღ of Venezuela jetting around in a high-class private jet.”
