U.S. Government Seizes Luxury Jet Linked to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro

In a significant enforcement action, the U.S. government has seized a luxury jet used by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The Dassault Falcon 900EX, valued at $13 million, was confiscated in the Dominican Republic and has been transferred to federal custody in Florida. This move comes in response to violations of U.S. sanctions and export control laws. According to the Justice Department, the jet was illicitly purchased through a shell company based in the Caribbean, which was used to obscure the involvement of Maduro’s associates in the acquisition. The aircraft was initially bought from a Florida-based company, then exported to Venezuela through the Caribbean in April 2023. This transaction was an attempt to evade an executive order prohibiting U.S. persons from engaging in business dealings with representatives of Maduro’s government.

The plane, which was registered in San Marino, had been frequently used by Maduro for international travel. It was notably involved in trips earlier this year to Guyana and Cuba. Furthermore, the aircraft played a role in a December 2023 swap on a Caribbean airstrip, where several Americans imprisoned in Venezuela were exchanged for Alex Saab, a close ally of Maduro and a fugitive from U.S. money laundering charges. Attorney General Merrick Garland condemned the smuggling of the aircraft, stating that it was meant for use by “Maduro and his cronies.” The seizure underscores the U.S. government’s commitment to enforcing sanctions and export controls against Venezuelan officials.

In response to the seizure, Venezuela’s government labeled the action as “a repeated criminal practice that cannot be described as anything other than piracy.” Matthew Axelrod, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement in the Commerce Department, emphasized the significance of the seizure, stating, “Let this seizure send a clear message: aircraft illegally acquired from the United States for the benefit of sanctioned Venezuelan officials cannot just fly off into the sunset.”

This development marks a notable step in the U.S. government’s ongoing efforts to enforce sanctions and curb the financial and logistical support available to Maduro’s regime.