Venezuelan election protest against Maduro – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by OSCAR GONZALEZ FUENTES
Fort Lauderdale, FL. – Nicolás Maduro’s aircraft was taken by the United States and flown to an airstrip in South Florida.
Officials concluded it was purchased in violation of sanctions imposed against Venezuela, according to CNN, which broke the story.
The aircraft, which was in the Dominican Republic, was the South American version of Air Force One, according to CNN. CNN claims that the $13 million Dassault Falcon 900 was seized by a number of federal agencies.
It was transported to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport by authorities. They informed Local 10 News that it was unlawfully shipped to Venezuela via the Caribbean after being bought for $13 million from a Florida business last year.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement on Monday that “the Department will continue to pursue those who violate our sanctions and export controls to prevent them from using American resources to undermine the national security of the United States.”
The Venezuelan administration was recently under pressure from the US to “immediately” reveal data on the country’s presidential election, which Maduro claimed victory with more than a million votes.
A national election official recently criticized the results for having a “severe lack of transparency and veracity.”
The election on July 28 was deemed illegitimate by opposition leaders and international countries; U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared that there was “overwhelming evidence” that opposition candidate Edmundo González emerged victorious.
“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,” Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Department of Commerce said in a statement. “It doesn’t matter how fancy the private jet or how powerful the officials – we will work relentlessly with our partners here and across the globe to identify and return any aircraft illegally smuggled outside of the United States.”
Speaking with Local 10 News on Monday, HSI Miami Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury shared those sentiments.
He stated that it shows that the U.S. will “take action against anyone, including heads of state, who think they’re untouchable.”
Through the forfeiture procedure, Venezuela might contest the seizure.
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Chris began his writing as a hobby while attending Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. Today he and his wife live in the Orlando area with their three children and dog.
