- The plane was taken to Florida on Monday.
The United States has seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s plane and taken it to Florida.
Several federal agencies involved in the seizure determined that Maduro’s acquisition of the aircraft violated U.S. sanctions. Two US officials revealed this to CNN.
The plane, described by officials as Venezuela’s Air Force One, was seized in the Dominican Republic and flown to the United States on Monday, marking the latest escalation with the Maduro regime.
“This sends a message to the highest levels,” one of the officials told CNN.
Several federal agencies involved in the seizure of the foreign leader’s aircraft determined that the acquisition violated U.S. sanctions, according to a new report.
“The seizure of a foreign head of state’s aircraft is unprecedented in criminal matters,” they added. “We are sending a clear message: no one is above the law, no one is above the reach of US sanctions.”
Maduro’s plane is estimated to cost around $13 million and has been photographed during his state visits around the world.
The exact reason for the seizure was not disclosed, but U.S. officials determined that the aircraft’s presence in the Dominican Republic in recent months presented an opportunity for its seizure.
Agencies involved in the seizure of the plane include Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Justice and Commerce agents within the Bureau of Industry and Security.
The Dominican Republic notified Venezuela of the seizures, a U.S. official said.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s plane was seized by the United States in the Dominican Republic and taken to Florida on Monday
The plane was described as “Venezuela’s Air Force One” and was often photographed with Maduro during his state visits to other countries.
Now, after the plane landed in the United States, the Venezuelan government has the opportunity to request the confiscation and recovery of the plane.
The seizure follows Maduro’s controversial re-election on July 28.
The United States has put pressure on the Central American country to “immediately” release the election data due to concerns about the credibility of Maduro’s victory.
After being re-elected last month, Venezuela suspended commercial flights to and from the Dominican Republic.
The United States has already reimposed sanctions against Venezuela’s oil and gas sector because the Maduro regime is blocking “an inclusive and competitive election.”