The U.S. government has seized a luxury jet used by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, claiming it was illegally purchased and smuggled out of the United States in violation of sanctions and export control laws. The Dassault Falcon 900EX was seized in the Dominican Republic and transferred to federal officials in Florida. U.S. officials accuse associates of Maduro of using a Caribbean-based shell company to hide their involvement in the purchase of the plane from a company in Florida, circumventing an executive order that bars U.S. persons from business transactions with representatives of Maduro’s government. The plane had been valued at $13 million at the time of purchase.
The seized plane, registered to San Marino, was frequently used by Maduro for foreign travel, including visits to Guyana and Cuba earlier this year. It was also involved in a December exchange on a Caribbean airstrip involving several incarcerated Americans in Venezuela and a close ally of Maduro, Alex Saab, who is imprisoned in the U.S. The Attorney General, Merrick Garland, condemned the smuggling of the aircraft for use by Maduro and his associates. Venezuela’s government characterized the seizure as an act of piracy, while state media footage showed Maduro using the plane for official travels.
The diplomatic fallout from the plane seizure comes amid controversy surrounding Venezuela’s presidential elections, where Maduro was declared the winner by ruling party-loyal authorities without providing detailed results. The opposition claims to have obtained more than 80% of the vote tally sheets showing that Maduro actually lost to former diplomat Edmundo González. A Venezuelan judge issued an arrest warrant for González on various charges, including conspiracy and falsifying documents. The U.S. government’s seizure of the aircraft is part of a broader effort to target the corrupt practices of the Venezuelan government, with several other private jets and assets belonging to top officials previously being seized.
The Dassault Falcon 900EX was previously owned by a Florida-based aviation services company and had been exported to St. Vincent and the Grenadines before being de-registered in the U.S. in January 2023. Following maintenance in the Dominican Republic, the plane never left the country again. This action follows the U.S. government’s earlier seizure of a Boeing 747-300 cargo plane in Argentina, which was linked to Iran and a subsidiary of Venezuela’s state-owned airlines. The U.S. has also sanctioned numerous Venezuelan-registered planes, mostly belonging to the state-owned oil company PDVSA, and has offered a $15 million bounty for the arrest of Maduro to face federal drug trafficking charges in New York.
Homeland Security Investigations in Miami continue to work on uncovering corrupt practices within the Venezuelan government, indicating that more actions may be taken in the future. The broader effort to target individuals and entities involved in corruption and illegal activities in Venezuela is ongoing, with a focus on holding accountable those who benefit from the exploitation of government resources. The seizure of the luxury jet used by Maduro represents a significant step in this direction, sending a clear message that illegal activities, including the acquisition and use of assets obtained through deceptive means, will not go unpunished.
