CNN: US seizes Venezuelan President Maduro's plane
Kyiv • UNN
Washington has arrested Nicolas Maduro's plane for violating US sanctions. The plane, worth about $13 million, was taken to Florida, which is an unprecedented case in criminal cases.
Washington has arrested Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's plane in the Dominican Republic after determining that its purchase was a violation of US sanctions. CNN reports citing its own sources, UNN reports.
Details
According to two U.S. officials, the U.S. flew the plane to Florida on Monday, September 2. Officials have called the plane the Venezuelan equivalent of Air Force One, and Maduro has used it during state visits around the world.
The seizure of the aircraft of a foreign head of state is an unheard of case for criminal cases. We are sending a clear message that no one is above the law, no one is beyond the reach of US sanctions
Addendum
In recent months, the plane was in the Dominican Republic. According to CNN, the Dominican Republic authorities have been working closely with the United States on this issue. Its value is estimated at about 13 million dollars.
One of the next steps after arrival in the United States will be confiscation, meaning that the Venezuelan government will be able to file a petition for this, as well as collect evidence from the plane.
For reference
In the spring of 2020, the US Department of Justice indicted Maduro and 14 other former and current Venezuelan officials on charges of narcoterrorism, drug trafficking and corruption. The agency said that Maduro and his colleagues had been in collusion with Colombian leftist guerrillas FARC for more than 20 years and contributed to "tons of cocaine entering American society.
CNN writes that Washington has been trying for years to stop the "flow of billions of dollars" to the Maduro regime. U.S. federal agencies have also long pursued the Venezuelan government over corruption concerns.
