The United States has seized Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro’s airplane after determining that its acquisition was in violation of US sanctions, among other criminal issues. The US flew the aircraft to Florida on Monday, according to two US officials.
It’s the latest development in what has long been a frosty relationship between the US and Venezuela, and its seizure in the Dominican Republic marks an escalation as the US continues to investigate what it regards as corrupt practices by Venezuela’s government.
The plane has been described by officials as Venezuela’s equivalent to Air Force One and it has been pictured in previous state visits by Maduro around the world.
“This sends a message all the way up to the top,” one of the 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.”
CNN has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice and State Department for comment.
The situation in Venezuela has had implications for US politics as millions flee the country, many of whom have chosen to migrate to the US-Mexico border.
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For years, US officials have sought to disrupt the flow of billions of dollars to the regime. Homeland Security Investigations — the second largest investigative agency in the federal government — has seized dozens of luxury vehicles, among other assets, heading to Venezuela.
The plane — estimated to cost around $13 million — had been in the Dominican Republic in recent months. US officials didn’t disclose why, but it presented an opportunity for US officials to seize the aircraft.
Multiple federal agencies were involved in the seizure, including Homeland Security Investigations; Commerce agents, the Bureau of Industry and Security; and the Justice Department.
US officials worked closely with the Dominican Republic, which notified Venezuela of the seizure, according to one of the US officials.
One of the next steps, upon arriving to the US, will be pursuing forfeiture, meaning the Venezuelan government has a chance to petition for it, and collecting evidence from the aircraft.
The US recently placed pressure on the Venezuelan government to “immediately” release specific data regarding its presidential election, citing concerns about the credibility of strongman leader Maduro’s victory.
Earlier this year, the US reimposed sanctions on Venezuela’s oil and gas sector in response to the Maduro government’s failure to allow “an inclusive and competitive election” to take place.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro alights from the plane upon his arrival at the Santa Maria airport, 22 km north of San Jose, on January 28, 2015 to take part in the III CELAC Summit. Ezequiel Becerra/AFP/Getty Images
After the controversial reelection of Maduro on July 28, Venezuela suspended commercial flights to and from the Dominican Republic.
Federal agencies, including HSI, have long been going after the Venezuelan government over corruption concerns. Over recent years, HSI has disrupted $2 billion worth of the Venezuelan government’s illicit proceeds or resources, including judgements, seizures, liquidation of bank accounts, according to one of the US officials.
In March 2020, the US Department of Justice charged Maduro, together with 14 current and former Venezuelan officials, with narco-terrorism, drug trafficking and corruption.
“For more than 20 years, Maduro and a number of high-ranking colleagues allegedly conspired with [Colombian left-wing guerrillaa] the FARC, causing tons of cocaine to enter and devastate American communities.,” then-Attorney General William Barr said at the time.
The State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs has offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to Maduro’s arrest or conviction.
In 2017, two nephews of Maduro’s wife Cilia Flores were sentenced to 18 years in prison by a federal court in New York City for trying to smuggle up to 800 kilograms of cocaine into the United States on a private jet; the two were later released by the United States in a prisoners’ exchange in 2022.
“We see these officials and the Maduro regime basically fleecing the Venezuelan people for their own gain,” the US official said. “You have people who can’t even afford a loaf of bread there and then you have the president of Venezuela jetting around in a high-class private jet.”
Poor economic conditions, food shortages and limited access to health care have pushed more than 7.7 million people to flee Venezuela, marking the largest displacement in the Western Hemisphere.
CNN’s Denise Royal and Stefano Pozzebon contributed reporting.
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I think that is wrong because no one could a sieze the American air force one plane, so why break diplomacy to sieze another president jet, all for the sake of American business take over the oil resources in Venezuela, these white men are so barefaced and greedy.
@Eldread I’m agree a 100 % with you.
I wonder what will happen if someone seizes Air Force one. Probably would feel the full force of United States. After thousands of years nothing has really changed. From the Roman empire to United States, eventually they all fall.
Wow, hypocrisy and propaganda at its best.
According to the article, “We’re sending a clear message here that no one is above the law,” and at the same time, the USA Supreme court has ruled that the sitting President of the USA cannot be tried for his actions while in office.
“Poor economic conditions, food shortages and limited access to health care have pushed more than 7.7 million people to flee Venezuela, marking the largest displacement in the Western Hemisphere”. Who really is responsible for these poor economic conditions? Is it President Maduro or the same sanctions that the USA has placed on the country?
Great foreign policy – stifle the smaller countries – hit them with sanctions and black list their banking sector. Then the people will try to make their way to the USA since they can’t survive in their own country. Then point the cameras at the people walking across the border – Great country, people risking their lives to come there.
Only the USA would believe they are above any laws of the world and do as they like. One day they will do it to the wrong person and suffer the consequences.
Might is Right.
@ Less We Forget
Doesn’t the USA remind you of Antigua and Gaston, who ”believe they are above any laws of the country”, even the ones that they created?
Just for example think about the juvenile justice law and no place to house the young delinquents!
Antigua is a really great place blinded by the greed which people like you get/take.
Remember Grenada? The people used to talk like this.
When Coard and Co. started their war on the people, see how fast they send for the US too save them?
We all have big talk until we feel the fire. Most of you have your family living in the US and sucking the sweet from Uncle Sam. Every year you run up there to enjoy the freedom and liberty you like. Yet you cuss Uncle Sam all the time. You love to praise strong man governments until they put their strength on you.
Mind allyuh nuh have to call him soon here to help allyuh.
You all criticise America. How many of you all will decide not to pursue a visa because of their action or not visit there if you all have a visa? We ourselves are the hypocrites. America thrives because we position ourselves for them to do so.
By the way is Gaston and Ralph going to denounce this?
I am happy America is standing up for justice, if Maduro is in fact involved in these horrible things. If he is, seizing an aircraft is not enough.
Maduro should be removed from presidency however the US needs to mind its own business and stop acting as if they are world police. Furthermore, if those self righteous US hypocites are so benovelent how come they havent paids us for the gaming rights which we won in court from so so many years ago.
Didn’t America put some sanctions on Russia and Gatson Browne gladly seized the Alpha Nero? Hypocrite y’all are.
GB ain’t gonna say shit about this, because he looking for more stuff to sell off so he can line his pockets..
But don’t worry, he’s next they coming after, trust me…
All these underhand deals he have with the Chinese and Nigerians got his arse on America’s radar. And by the way, no Embassy is coming to Antigua, cause the prime minister is too damn corrupt, harboring criminals in his country to hide out, left right and center, and America knows that.
Huuumm!
The US Government is not telling people that it is the sanctions they put on these countries that make things hard in these countries, then they close the borders in the face of the people when they try to get into the US.
The US Government sent the National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to China last week, to warn China to stay out of their election, and the they are all up in every countries in the world election, what hypocrisy.
The US Government is just going around the world causing havoc with their proxy wars, and making things bad for most of us in the west, and those puppet Governments in the UK, EU and Canada are afraid to tell the US they are not going down that path with them.
I was listening to Dr O a past US diplomat complaining on his YouTube channel, he said he had to drive 8 hours to attend a business meeting, and his Government is spending all those billions financing all these proxy wars around the world, when they could spend that money on the crumbling infrastructure. He said those billions could be spent on a bullet rail snd train system that would get him to his destination within 45 minutes.
The US Government need to listen to all those past US Generals and diplomats on YouTube and stop spewing the lies they want their citizens to hear on main stream media, like CNN,FOX and MSNBC and not the truth about their bad foreign policies.
The US Government know their hedge money is crumbling around the World, so they are wrecking havoc around the world to start world war 3.
BRICS is where all countries are moving to, away from the US hedge money and the Empire is crumbling and the US Government knows that, Check history, when an Empire is crumbling that is the way they behave.
As soon as they want money or there are natural disasters, they want USA to act as world police/bank/savior but when it comes to justice and enforcement of laws and rules to protect democracy and people they do not want America to do anything. All we are good for is to send money.
@ Saweetie..Islanman26 : The claimed owners did not exercise their right to go to court and lose? They went to court to get an injunction and lost. How does Venezuela do same since the US has hijacked the boat and moved it out of the Dominican republic.
@my way of helping, the rest of the world buy the US Government dept, so the rest of the world are supporting to US financially, so what you’ll give back for disaster is just a drop in the bucket of what the US Government get from the rest of the world.
Since the US Government export its manufacturing to China the US Government turn to selling its debt to the rest of the world, arms manufacturing, and technology.
The US Government is 35 trillion in debt, they stifle technology, all the scientists and Tec innovators are heading east, all the Government left with is selling weapons to commit genocide, and only to upper elites benefit, your Government are killing the middle class in America.
The US Government are talking about bringing back manufacturing to America, they may have to import labor from China or the EU, because they have not being doing manufacturing for a long long time, there are no manufacturing workers there.
I love America and Americans, but I am not going to sugarcoat the fact that their Government more corrupt and stink than any other nation on planet earth, they are causing the us demise not the people.
@my way of helping, america has refused to be part of the International Court of justice because it believes that it is above every other country in the world. The US is not an international institution, it is just a rogue/vigilante government looking out for its own selfish interest.
HA! No one is above the law…….Only the US themselves are above the law. They impose sanctions on Venezuela and then complain that they are leaving and going to the US.
Was it not the same US companies that were lining up to take advantage of the oil in Venezuela? They would’ve gone there and totally exploited it while the country for pennies.
I don’t like Maduro, but sadly the US is acting as the world’s police. Fighting for the American way while turning a blind eye to the corruption and follies of their allies. But wait…those same allies and friends will soon stab them in the back.
When one country can unilaterally say to another country, you cannot take part of any world trade or any other international sport in the world, without the consent of the majority of the world. Which means getting a UN Resolution, then we are left at the mercy of this one country. This is bad news. What has Cuba done the USA, what had Venezuela done the USA. They have both kept the capitalists from exploiting their country’s natural resources. And for that they are paying a huge price. Which is starve to death or let us control your resources. Guyana is slowly but surely coming to the realization that they are not really in control of their new gained wealth. And believe me it is not about DEMOCRACY. Democracy in America has shown to be skewed. It’s not about one man one vote. Thee Electoral College is the mechanism by which American presidents are elected. Therefore it was shown that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by millions of vote, yet Trump won the electoral college. The South Africans when they held the first free and fair election after Nelsson Mandela was released from prison struggled with this question. The whites in minority knew they would never be the majority therefore they will never see political power. But is that not the essence of Democracy. One person one vote. Our so called communist countries also practice some form of democracy. There is only one party but people vote for members to have a seat in the party. And then the elected member elect the executive who then elect the president. And then we have the dictatorship. That is were one person draws all power to him/herself and act unilaterally. This is how the United States behaves in the world. They dictate and act unilaterally in whatever they see fit. They can bomb a country by mistake and there are no consequences. Take for example Iraqi, whom they claim had weapons of mass destruction. Not even an apology after these accusations were shown to be false. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis died. Mothers, fathers, children. And the instability that it brought to the region. US Citizens are not aware neither concern about their country’s foreign policies. It doesn’t hurt them so why would they. Until as the saying goes the chickens coming home to roast. That is why we have seen in the twentieth century the increase of violence against US citizens and properties. Terrorism as we call it has risen. And terrorism was only pointed toward the USA. Now terrorism is also pointed towards France and England.
Every nation in time of the world history has its time of domination. It’s the USA time now and Europe is aiding them in that. How long will this last? Who knows. The Africans dominated the world for over two thousand years. We were not always slaves. We used to be Kings and Queens. Just read up on the African history if you are really interested. You would learn about the Kemet people. Kemet is an ancient name for Egypt, which means “the black land”. You would learn about Mana Musa, Mansa Musa was the ninth Mansa of the Mali Empire, which reached its territorial peak during his reign. Musa’s reign is often regarded as the zenith of Mali’s power and prestige.
And what I found was that you never read about their cruelty. But when the time of the Europeans came, starting with the Greece and the Romans it was all about cruelty.
My question remains, what gives one country the right to tell another country you cannot trade. You cannot feed you people, you cannot do anything unless you abide by my principles.
Venezuela just had an election. And yes believe it or not the USA had their hands in that, hoping that their candidates should win. And like every election, Venezuela invites independent election observers from across the region. Has anyone seen a report from the observer group condemning the election results. Yet the USA condemns it and regardless of the country’s internal legal system upholding the results they them claim that the court is bios and in the pockets of the president. A claim that can easily be said of the US Supreme Court as we have seen in their latest judgements. And their own president has condemn their own judges. But they do not look at their own problems. When has the USA ever invited international observers to come and observe their election. One would remember the January 6th riot on the capital. Supporters claiming the election was stolen.
Isn’t it the same thing we see in Venezuela, supporters claiming that the election was stolen. Living in a democracy is not easy. Especially when the margin is so slim. And when the losers do not accept defeat. This will always turn a country in turmoil.
The world order must change. I don’t know when I don’t know how, but it must change.
Everyday the bucket goes to the well, one day the bottom will drop out.
Still waiting on comments from so called political analyst like Audley Phillip and Christpher Carmicheal a.k.a. Brixtonian.
Please justify the USA unilateral actions.
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