US confiscates Maduro’s official plane due to sanctions against Venezuela (+Video)

The United States confiscated the official plane of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in the Dominican Republic on Monday, citing US sanctions against Venezuela, CNN reported exclusively.

According to two US officials, the United States moved the plane to Florida on Monday.

“Seizing the aircraft of a foreign head of state is unprecedented in 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,” one of the officials told CNN.

There is still no official confirmation of what happened, an alleged seizure that took place after the United States determined that the acquisition of the aircraft “violated U.S. sanctions, among other criminal matters,” the television network notes.

The plane, estimated to cost around $13 million, had been in the Dominican Republic for the past few months.

Cause not revealed

U.S. officials did not say why, but “an opportunity” presented itself to seize the aircraft in an operation involving several federal agencies, which worked “closely with the Dominican Republic, which notified Venezuela of the seizure.”

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 echelons” of the Venezuelan government. The aircraft has been photographed during several state visits by Maduro around the world.

For years, the U.S. government has seized dozens of luxury vehicles, among other assets, headed to Venezuela, but never a vehicle of such relevance and symbolism.

Last April, the United States partially reversed sanctions relief on Venezuelan oil and gas, accusing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of failing to meet his electoral commitments by disqualifying opposition candidate María Corina Machado.

Elections

Since the Venezuelan elections on July 28, the United States has been highly critical of the Maduro government.

Last week, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the continued refusal of Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) to uphold international and Venezuelan standards of transparency is an “unacceptable violation” of the country’s laws.

His statement, released one month after the July 28 elections in Venezuela, also criticized the attempt by the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), “controlled by (Venezuelan President Nicolás) Maduro, to silence the voices of voters by ratifying the CNE’s unfounded announcement of a Maduro victory.”

In response, the Venezuelan government said it “does not owe any explanations” to the United States regarding the reelection of Nicolás Maduro.

According to the Caribbean country, the US State Department “insists on its despicable position of meddling in matters that are not its concern,” said Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil.

Santo Domingo / EFE