United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, on Thursday, formally seized a second plane belonging to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government on behalf of the U.S.
This move is the latest episode in the decades-long strained relationship between Washington and Caracas.
The seized aircraft, a Dassault Falcon 200EX with tail number YV-3360, had been held in Santo Domingo since April 2024.
This action follows the seizure of another Venezuelan plane in September while it was in the Dominican Republic.
Both planes, according to Edwin Lopez, country attaché for US Homeland Security Investigations in Santo Domingo, were used by high-ranking Venezuelan officials during their travels.
The first seized plane was flown to Florida shortly after its confiscation.
“The plane was under US sanctions,” Lopez explained, adding that the aircraft had been serviced multiple times using parts from the United States after sanctions were imposed on Venezuela’s state oil company, PDVSA, which violated US export control and sanctions regulations. The plane was originally purchased in 2017 by PDVSA from the US.
On his first trip as the top US diplomat, Rubio personally observed as a warrant was taped on the door of the seized aircraft in the Dominican Republic.
Lopez commended the US Embassy’s leadership, which helped secure funds to repair the plane and facilitated its seizure.
He further revealed that the plane would be transported to Miami in the coming months.
“Collectively, the two planes provide us with a treasure trove of intelligence,” Lopez told Rubio, noting that the materials gathered included lists of Venezuela’s Air Force personnel, receipts, flight manifests, and other vital information.
He also highlighted the significance of the aircraft’s transponders, which could offer previously inaccessible data that had been blocked by the pilots during flights.
The investigation into the aircraft dates back years. Authorities have been aware of the planes since at least 2020.
A statement from the US Treasury described the aircraft seized by Rubio as being “used throughout 2019 to transport senior members of the former Maduro regime,” with one trip involving attendance at an OPEC meeting in the United Arab Emirates.
In September 2024, US Attorney General Merrick Garland said the first seized plane was “illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies.”
Dominican Republic Foreign Minister, Roberto Alvarez, confirmed that the US had requested the aircraft’s immobilization to search for evidence of fraud, smuggling, and money laundering.
Venezuelan officials denounced the seizure as “piracy” and accused the US of escalating aggression against Maduro’s government.
The first aircraft was reportedly considered Venezuela’s version of Air Force One. Officials described it as a symbol of the country’s leadership, frequently used to transport top government officials.
US pressure on the Maduro administration has grown more intense over the years, particularly following Maduro’s controversial third-term reelection in July.
In 2024, the US reimposed sanctions on Venezuela’s oil and gas sector, citing the government’s failure to allow “an inclusive and competitive election.”
The US Department of Justice had previously indicted Maduro and 14 current or former Venezuelan officials in 2020 on charges of narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and corruption.
The Venezuelan government has consistently denied these allegations and rejected criticism of its election processes.
