- U.S. authorities have taken control of Maduro's aircraft.
The United States has confiscated a jet belonging to Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro due to breaches of sanctions. This information was shared by the United States Department of Justice in Washington. The jet, a Dassault Falcon 900EX, which is both owned and operated by Maduro and his close associates, was seized in the Dominican Republic and moved to Florida, United States. The reason behind this is the violation of American sanctions and export controls.
As per a statement from US Attorney General Merrick Garland, the plane was obtained illegally for $13 million through a shell company and was smuggled out of the USA for use by Maduro and his associates. A spokesperson from the US Department of Commerce emphasized that no matter how opulent a private jet may be or how influential its owners, the USA is determined to retrieve every plane that has been unlawfully exported from the United States.
The US government has imposed sanctions preventing Americans from conducting business with members of the Maduro regime. Additionally, certain restrictions apply to exports to Venezuela.
US Acknowledges Opposition's Victory
The US also disagrees with the controversial recent re-election of Venezuela's authoritarian president - despite the Supreme Court's confirmation of the results. The loyal electoral body declared Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, the winner of the presidential election on July 28 in the South American country. However, the detailed results have not been released yet - the government attributes this to a cyberattack. The opposition accuses the government of electoral fraud and claims victory for their candidate, Edmundo González.
The United States Department of Justice is actively enforcing sanctions against the Venezuelan regime, as evidenced by the seizure of a jet owned by Nicolás Maduro and his associates. The department is committed to recovering any plane illegally exported from the United States, regardless of its ownership or opulence.
