The government of Venezuela has condemned the U.S. seizure of an aircraft used by Nicolás Maduro, calling it an act of "piracy" and a "recurrent criminal practice." In a statement, Venezuelan authorities decried the actions taken by U.S. officials as illegal and unjustifiable.
"The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela denounces to the international community that, once again, the authorities of the United States of America, in a recurrent criminal practice that can only be described as piracy, have illegally seized an aircraft used by the President of the Republic, justifying it with unilateral and illegal coercive measures imposed worldwide," read the statement, which was published on the Instagram account of Venezuela's Foreign Minister.
The statement further asserted that "this action shows that no state and no constitutional government is safe from illegal actions that disregard international law," a pointed remark considering that several governments around the world currently do not recognize Maduro's administration as legitimate due to allegations of electoral fraud.
"The United States has already demonstrated that it uses its economic and military power to intimidate and pressure states like the Dominican Republic to become accomplices in its criminal acts," added the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry. The statement also accused the U.S. of using "the law of the strongest" to "create rules that suit their interests and execute them with total impunity."
Venezuela's Foreign Ministry stated that it "reserves the right to take any legal action to repair this damage to the Nation, as well as all other damages caused by the criminal policy of unilateral coercive measures."
The statement concluded by referencing "an escalation of actions" against Maduro's regime. It noted that Maduro was "reelected by the will of the majority of the Venezuelan people on July 28 and, faithful to his anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist tradition, will not be pressured by any aggression. Venezuela respects itself and continues to firmly defend its dignity and sovereignty."
The aircraft in question, a private jet Dassault Falcon 900EX, was seized in the Dominican Republic on Monday morning and transported to the Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland stated, "The Department of Justice seized an aircraft that was illegally acquired for $13 million through a shell company and was smuggled out of the United States for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies."
According to U.S. officials, individuals linked to Maduro used a Caribbean-based shell company to hide their involvement in the illegal purchase of the aircraft, which was illegally exported from the United States to Venezuela in April of last year. From May onward, the plane flew almost exclusively between Venezuela and a military base.
In recent hours, Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez stated that his government had no role in the U.S. investigation that led to the aircraft's seizure in Santo Domingo. "Neither the Dominican Government nor the Public Ministry participated in the U.S. investigation process; only international legal cooperation was requested, and as the indicated norms were complied with and judicial orders were obtained, the Public Ministry complied with what was ordered by the courts," Álvarez told reporters.
Álvarez added that the aircraft was in Dominican territory for maintenance purposes.
The Cuban government has also condemned the seizure of the aircraft on the social media platform X.
Questions About the U.S. Seizure of Maduro's Aircraft
Given the controversy surrounding the U.S. seizure of an aircraft used by Nicolás Maduro, we've compiled some common questions and answers to help clarify the situation.
Why did the U.S. seize Nicolás Maduro's aircraft?
The U.S. Department of Justice seized the aircraft because it was illegally acquired for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States for Nicolás Maduro's use.
What was the Venezuelan government's response to the seizure?
The Venezuelan government condemned the seizure as an act of "piracy" and a "recurrent criminal practice" by U.S. authorities, calling it illegal and unjustifiable.
Did the Dominican government participate in the U.S. investigation?
No, Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez stated that the Dominican government did not participate in the U.S. investigation, only complying with international legal cooperation requests.