WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio authorized the seizure of a second plane linked to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
This action follows a similar incident in September when another Venezuelan aircraft was confiscated in the Dominican Republic.
Relations between Washington and Caracas have long been strained due to political and economic conflicts.
The US claims both planes were used by top Venezuelan officials for official travel.
Aircraft Details
The plane seized Thursday is a Dassault Falcon 200EX with tail number YV-3360.
US Homeland Security Investigations confirmed the aircraft was under US sanctions.
It had been grounded in Santo Domingo since April 2024 before the formal seizure.
Rubio personally observed as a warrant was placed on the aircraft’s door.
Sanctions and Violations
The aircraft was originally purchased by PDVSA, Venezuela’s state oil company, in 2017.
US officials say it was serviced multiple times using American parts, violating sanctions.
The US imposed sanctions on PDVSA to curb financial support for Maduro’s government.
Authorities argue the plane’s maintenance broke US export control laws.
Seizure Logistics
The US Embassy helped secure funds for repairing the aircraft before its confiscation.
Lopez told Rubio the plane would be transported to Miami in the coming months.
The first seized Venezuelan plane was flown to Florida in September.
Officials are using the planes to gather valuable intelligence.
Intelligence Collection
Authorities expect the seized planes to provide key information about Venezuela’s Air Force.
Data includes details on Air Force personnel, receipts, and flight logs.
US officials believe the transponders will reveal blocked flight data.
They hope this intelligence will assist in ongoing investigations.
