U.S. seizes Venezuelan government plane in the Dominican Republic

Friday 07 February 2025 - 09:10

The U.S. government has confiscated a second aircraft linked to the administration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, currently located in the Dominican Republic.

During his visit to Santo Domingo as part of a five-nation tour across Latin America, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio observed as officials executed the seizure by affixing the warrant to the aircraft.

The process required Rubio to approve a waiver that lifted a freeze on foreign aid funds imposed by President Donald Trump. This permitted the payment of over $230,000 in storage and maintenance fees, according to a State Department document. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice authorized the seizure, stating that the aircraft had been utilized by a Venezuelan state-owned oil and gas company subject to U.S. sanctions. Investigations revealed that the plane was purchased in the U.S. in 2017, transferred to Venezuela, and maintained using American components.

The aircraft, a Dassault Falcon 200, has reportedly been used by Maduro and senior officials, including his vice president and defense minister, for international travel. Destinations have included Greece, Turkey, Russia, and Cuba—routes that Washington claims violate U.S. sanctions.

This latest seizure follows the confiscation of another Venezuelan government aircraft in September 2024. At that time, U.S. authorities disclosed that Maduro's associates had concealed their involvement in purchasing a Dassault Falcon 900EX, valued at $13 million, through a Caribbean-based shell company in late 2022 and early 2023.

The action also coincides with recent diplomatic moves, including a visit to Caracas by a U.S. special envoy, Richard Grenell, to negotiate the repatriation of Venezuelan migrants who had illegally entered the United States. Grenell returned with six American citizens who had been detained in Venezuela.

In a separate diplomatic matter, Rubio addressed discussions regarding transit fees for U.S. warships using the Panama Canal. He emphasized that Panama, as a democratic nation, must follow its legal procedures, despite previous indications from the U.S. State Department that an agreement had been reached to eliminate the fees. Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino later clarified that he lacks the authority to set or waive such fees, contradicting earlier statements from Washington.

The dispute highlights ongoing tensions over the strategic waterway, with former President Trump expressing concerns over Chinese influence in the region and suggesting that the U.S. might reassess its position regarding the canal if Panama does not impose strict limitations on foreign involvement. Rubio argued that it is unreasonable for the U.S. to pay transit fees for a zone it is treaty-bound to protect in times of conflict.