Seizure of Maduro's plane escalates U.S. sanctions on Venezuela

U.S. authorities seized Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro's plane in the Dominican Republic due to ongoing criminal cases and the fact that the purchase of the aircraft violated sanctions imposed by Washington, CNN reported.

CNN sources said the aircraft, estimated to be worth $18 million CAD and described as the Venezuelan equivalent of the American presidential aircraft Air Force One, was sent to Florida on Monday at 3:00 PM EST.

The seizure of Maduro's plane marks another escalation of tensions between Washington and Caracas, the station assessed, recalling that U.S. authorities are investigating corruption practices attributed to the Venezuelan regime.

This is a signal to the very top. The seizure of a foreign head of state's plane is rare in criminal cases. We are sending a clear signal here that no one is above the law and no one is beyond the reach of American sanctions, said one of the quoted American officials.

In Venezuela, presidential elections were held on July 28, with the regime declaring Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, the winner. The opposition, however, published records showing a decisive victory for its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia. It also accused the authorities of election fraud.

Washington pressed Caracas to provide evidence confirming Maduro's alleged victory. Earlier, U.S. authorities had already reinstated sanctions on the Venezuelan oil industry, assessing that Maduro's government had failed to organize fair elections as promised.

Under Maduro's rule, oil-rich Venezuela has experienced a catastrophic economic and humanitarian crisis, which has intensified a wave of migration of the country's residents to the U.S. Over 7.5 million people have fled the country, many attempting to cross into the United States illegally through Mexico.

CNN did not report when Maduro's plane was seized. Sources also did not disclose the reason the aircraft was in the Dominican Republic. However, it was a convenient opportunity for its confiscation, and many U.S. federal agencies cooperated with Dominican authorities for this reason, officials conveyed.

U.S. authorities have long suspected the Venezuelan government of corruption practices and have sought to curb the flow of money to the regime. In recent years, they have seized dozens of luxury cars and other goods destined for Venezuela, CNN reported.

The station recalled that in March 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice charged Maduro and 14 other former and current Venezuelan officials with narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and corruption. They were accused of participating in the trafficking of large quantities of cocaine to the United States. A reward of $20 million CAD was offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the politician.