Seizure of Maduro's plane escalates U.S.-Venezuela tensions further

U.S. authorities seized Venezuelan leader Nicolás 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 £10.5 million and described as the Venezuelan equivalent of the American presidential aircraft Air Force One, was sent to Florida on Monday.

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.

Seizing the foreign head of state’s plane is unheard-of for 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, said one of the quoted American officials.

In Venezuela, presidential elections were held on 28th July, 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 González Urrutia. It also accused the authorities of election fraud.

Washington pressured 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 organise 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 from the country to the U.S. Over 7.5 million people have fled, many attempting to cross into the United States illegally through Mexico.

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

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

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 £12.1 million was offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the politician.