The United States has seized the official plane of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in the Dominican Republic, based on US sanctions against Venezuela. As CNN exclusively reports, the US has moved the plane to Florida.
“Seizing the plane of a foreign head of state is unheard of in criminal matters. “We are sending a clear message here: no one is above the law, no one is immune from American sanctions,” an official told CNN.
Although there is no official confirmation of the seizure yet, this alleged seizure comes after the United States determined that the acquisition of the plane “violated US sanctions, among other criminal matters,” the television network points out. The plane, estimated to be worth around $13 million, had been in the Dominican Republic in recent months.
Officials described the plane as Venezuela’s equivalent of Air Force One and said the seizure was intended to send “a message to the highest command” of the Venezuelan government. The aircraft has been photographed during several of Maduro’s state visits around the world.
For years, the U.S. government has confiscated dozens of luxury vehicles and other goods bound for Venezuela, but never has it carried out an operation of this magnitude and symbolism.
Last April, the United States partially reversed sanctions relief on Venezuelan oil and gas, accusing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of failing to fulfill his election promises by disqualifying opposition candidate María Corina Machado.
Last week, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the continued refusal of Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) to meet international and Venezuelan standards of transparency was an “unacceptable violation” of the country’s laws. His statement, released a month after Venezuela’s July 28 election, also criticized the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), “controlled by (Venezuelan President Nicolás) Maduro, to silence the voices of voters ratifying the CNE’s baseless claim of a Maduro victory.” In response, the Venezuelan government said it “owed the United States no explanation” for Maduro’s re-election.
