United States Accused of Aircraft Theft by Venezuela Over Seized Presidential Plane
Latest Development: In a dramatic turn of events on September 3, 2024, Mexico City, a Dassault Falcon 900EX, owned by Venezuelan President, Nicolás Maduro, was seized by the US authorities in Florida. This action was allegedly taken due to violations of Executive Order 13884, signed by former President Donald Trump, which prevents US persons from conducting business with Venezuelan government representatives.
The Venezuelan government, in response, accused the US of "piracy" and recurring criminal practices. In a communiqué published by Caracas, they described the act as an illegal confiscation, justifying themselves under their coercive measures applied worldwide.
US officials claim the plane was purchased via associates for around $13 million through a shell company in late 2022 and smuggled from the US to Venezuela via the Caribbean. The US Attorney, Markenzy Lapointe, praised the assistance provided by the Dominican Republic, where the plane was stationed for maintenance.
This confiscation was part of the US's global reach policy to enforce its sanctions. "The Department will continue to pursue those who violate our sanctions and export controls to prevent them from using American resources to undermine the national security of the United States," said US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.
The seizing of the plane involved several US agencies and officials, including the Department of Justice, the Department of Commerce, and Homeland Security Investigations. The Dassault Falcon, bearing tail number T7-ESPRT, has been used by Venezuelan government officials for trips to Cuba, Guyana, and in a recent prisoner swap between the US and Venezuela.
Dominican President, Luis Abinader, stated the plane was not registered under the name of the Venezuelan government but rather an individual. Nevertheless, the plane was used for official purposes. The Venezuelan government has been using intermediaries to circumvent the unilateral coercive measures imposed by the US.
The seizure followed increased tensions between Caracas and Washington following the July 28 presidential election that saw Maduro declared the winner for another six-year term. The US Treasury Department is reportedly preparing sanctions against 15 high-level Venezuelan officials.
In its statement following the presidential jet confiscation, the Venezuelan government asserted it was "not an isolated action" and that it reserved the right to take legal action in response. This seizure echoes a previous event in mid 2022 when a cargo plane owned by Emtrasur, a subsidiary of state airline Conviasa, was seized by US authorities in Buenos Aires for alleged violations of US sanctions policies.
Revised by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.
Insights:- The US government seized a Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft linked to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in September 2024, allegedly under violations of the Trump-era Executive Order, with subsequent legal actions extended into 2025.- The US Justice Department cited violations of export controls and sanctions laws, including prohibitions on transactions with Maduro-aligned entities under the 2017 Venezuelan sanctions regime.- The US escalated proceedings with a formal forfeiture complaint in April 2025, emphasizing efforts to disrupt assets benefiting Maduro’s government. No evidence of Maduro's direct use of the aircraft post-2024 was disclosed, but the case reflects ongoing US sanctions enforcement targeting Venezuelan officials.- A separate Falcon 2000EX tied to Venezuela’s state oil company PdVSA was also seized in the Dominican Republic under similar legal arguments.
- The Venezuelan government, following the seizure of President Nicolás Maduro's Dassault Falcon 900EX by US authorities, accused the US of "piracy" and persistent criminal practices on Monday, describing the act as an illegal confiscation under their coercive measures applied worldwide.
- In response to the confiscation, US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland stated that the Department would continue to pursue those who violate US sanctions and export controls, preventing them from using American resources to undermine the national security of the United States.
- Amidst this war-and-conflicts-related event, the US Attorney's office in Florida claimed that the plane was purchased via associates for around $13 million during late 2022 and smuggled from the US to Venezuela via the Caribbean.
- In the realm of politics and policy-and-legislation, the US escalated proceedings with a formal forfeiture complaint in April 2025, emphasizing efforts to disrupt assets benefiting Maduro’s government in the crime-and-justice arena.
- This seizure, reminiscent of a previous event in mid 2022 when a cargo plane owned by Emtrasur, a subsidiary of state airline Conviasa, was seized by US authorities in Buenos Aires, may signal a wider pursuit of war-and-conflicts and crime-and-justice-related policies against high-level Venezuelan officials.
