Ayobamiji Komolafe 
The United States (US) has seized a private jet belonging to Venezuelan President, Nicolás Maduro.
The US Justice Department accused Maduro of illegally purchasing the $13 million Falcon 900EX aircraft and smuggling it out of the country adding that the plane, initially located in the Dominican Republic, was transferred to Florida.
The US officials alleged that individuals associated with President Maduro used a Caribbean-based shell company to obscure their involvement in the plane’s purchase from a Florida-based company between late 2022 and early 2023.
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The aircraft was reportedly exported from the US to Venezuela via the Caribbean in April 2023.
This incident is unlikely to deter President Maduro, who has consistently accused the U.S. of interfering in Venezuela’s internal affairs.
A White House National Security Council spokesperson described the seizure as a critical step in ensuring that Maduro faces consequences for what they described as his mismanagement of Venezuela.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida emphasized the cooperation from Dominican Republic authorities in facilitating the seizure.
Matthew S. Axelrod from the Department of Commerce emphasized that the U.S. would continue to work with global partners to track and reclaim any aircraft smuggled out of the United States.
According to flight data, the plane was flown to Caracas, Venezuela, after arriving in Kingston, Saint Vincent, and the Grenadines in April 2023.
The aircraft reportedly operated almost exclusively between a military base in Venezuela and other locations.
The circumstances of its arrival in the Dominican Republic remain uncertain, but U.S. officials indicated that the jet had been used by Maduro for international trips.
In July, the Venezuelan government temporarily suspended commercial flights to both the Dominican Republic and Panama following Maduro’s controversial re-election.
This is not the first time that U.S. authorities have targeted Maduro or the Venezuelan government over allegations of corruption.
It will be recalled that in 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice charged Maduro and 14 other Venezuelan officials with narco-terrorism, corruption, and drug trafficking.
The U.S. State Department has also offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to Maduro’s arrest or conviction.
