2:59 pm - February 12, 2025
U.S. Seizes Second Venezuelan Plane Amid Escalating Tensions with Maduro’s Government
The relationship between the United States and Venezuela has long been strained, but recent developments have brought tensions to a boiling point. On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio formally seized a second plane linked to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government. The aircraft, a Dassault Falcon 200EX with the tail number YV-3360, was taken into custody in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, under U.S. sanctions. This seizure follows a similar incident in September 2024, when another Venezuelan plane was confiscated while in the Dominican Republic. Both aircraft were reportedly used by high-ranking officials in Maduro’s administration for their travels.
The plane seized on Thursday had been grounded in Santo Domingo since April 2024. According to Edwin Lopez, the attaché for U.S. Homeland Security Investigations in the Dominican Republic, the aircraft was purchased by Venezuela’s state oil company, PDVSA, in 2017. However, after the U.S. imposed sanctions on PDVSA, the plane was serviced and maintained using parts from the United States, violating U.S. export control and sanctions laws. Rubio, who was in the Dominican Republic on his first trip as Secretary of State, witnessed the seizure firsthand as a warrant was taped to the aircraft’s door. The plane is expected to be transported to Miami in the coming months.
A Treasure Trove of Intelligence
The seizure of the two planes has provided U.S. authorities with a significant amount of intelligence. Lopez explained to Rubio that the aircraft contain detailed records, including a list of all members of Venezuela’s Air Force, their personally identifiable information, receipts, and flight manifests. This information could prove invaluable for understanding the inner workings of Maduro’s regime and its networks. Additionally, the transponders on the planes are expected to reveal data that pilots had previously blocked during flights, further aiding U.S. investigations.
The seizure of these planes is part of a broader effort by the U.S. government to disrupt the flow of resources and information to Maduro’s regime. For years, U.S. officials have sought to target corruption andsanctions evasion by Venezuelan officials. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the second-largest investigative agency in the federal government, has seized numerous assets linked to the regime, including luxury vehicles and other high-value items.
Historical Context and Previous Seizures
The seizure of the second plane follows a pattern of escalating tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela. In September 2024, a similar aircraft linked to Maduro’s government was seized and flown to Florida. At the time, then-Attorney General Merrick Garland described the plane as having been “illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies.” The plane was later searched for evidence of fraud, smuggling, and money laundering. Venezuelan officials slammed the seizure as “piracy” and accused the U.S. of escalating aggression against Maduro’s government.
The U.S. Treasury Department had previously identified the plane seized in September as having been used to transport senior members of Maduro’s regime, including on a trip to an OPEC meeting in the United Arab Emirates in 2019. Authorities had been aware of both planes for at least five years, but the seizures mark a significant step in the U.S. effort to isolate Maduro’s regime and disrupt its operations.
U.S. Strategy and Sanctions Against Maduro’s Regime
The seizures of the Venezuelan planes are part of a larger strategy by the U.S. government to pressure Nicolas Maduro’s regime. In recent years, the U.S. has imposed stringent sanctions on Venezuela’s oil and gas sector, citing the regime’s failure to allow “an inclusive and competitive election” to take place. The sanctions have severely impacted Venezuela’s economy, which has struggled under years of mismanagement and corruption.
In addition to economic sanctions, the U.S. has targeted high-ranking officials in Maduro’s government. In March 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice charged Maduro and 14 other current and former Venezuelan officials with narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and corruption. Maduro’s government has denied the allegations, dismissing them as part of a broader U.S. campaign to destabilize the regime. Venezuela’s leaders have also dismissed criticism of Maduro’s controversial reelection in July 2024, which many international observers have deemed illegitimate.
Venezuela’s Reaction and the Broader Implications
The Venezuelan government has vehemently opposed the seizures of its aircraft, labeling the actions as “piracy” and accusing the U.S. of escalating aggression. The seizures have further strained relations between Caracas and Washington, which have been tense for decades. The U.S. has long been a vocal critic of Maduro’s government, accusing it of human rights abuses, corruption, and authoritarianism.
The seizures of the planes are likely to deepen the divide between the two nations, with Venezuela’s leaders accusing the U.S. of overstepping its authority. However, the U.S.