News Americas, New York, NY, Mon. September 2, 2024: The United States has seized a Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft that was owned and operated for the benefit of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Moro and his affiliates. The plane, which was illegally exported from the United States, was seized in the Dominican Republic and then transferred to the Southern District of Florida at the request of US authorities. The action was based on violations of US export control and sanctions laws.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced the seizure, saying: “This morning, the Department of Justice seized an aircraft that we allege was illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States for use by Nicolás Maduro and his friends. 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.”
Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod added: “Let this seizure send a clear message: Aircraft purchased illegally by the United States for the benefit of sanctioned Venezuelan officials cannot just fly off into the sunset.” .”
The US investigation found that in late 2022 and early 2023, individuals linked to Maduro used a shell company based in the Caribbean to hide their involvement in the illegal purchase of the Dassault Falcon 900EX, worth about $13 million. from a company in the Southern District. of Florida. The plane was illegally exported from the US to Venezuela via the Caribbean in April 2023. Since May 2023, it has flown primarily to and from a military base in Venezuela, where it has been used to transport Maduro on international trips.
US Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida emphasized the importance of the seizure, emphasizing the cooperation between US authorities and the Dominican Republic in this operation. “Our office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to work to seize this aircraft and all other law-abiding assets,” Lapointe said.
The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security Office in Miami, along with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the HSI El Dorado Task Force Miami, are leading the investigation. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Paster and Jorge Delgado for the Southern District of Florida, with assistance from the Homeland Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
The US expressed gratitude to the Dominican Republic for its assistance in this matter, highlighting the international cooperation involved in enforcing US sanctions and export control laws.
The Venezuelan government has called the act “piracy”.
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