In an unprecedented incident, the United States seizes the Venezuelan president's plane and transfers it to Florida

The United States has seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s plane, alleging that its purchase violated U.S. sanctions, among other criminal charges. The plane was flown to Florida on Monday, according to U.S. officials.

This is the latest development in the long-frozen relationship between the United States and Venezuela, and the seizure of the plane in the Dominican Republic comes as the United States continues to investigate what it sees as corrupt practices by the Venezuelan government.

Officials have described the plane as the equivalent of the U.S. presidential jet, and the seizure of Maduro's plane, which has been photographed on previous official visits around the world, represents an escalation in investigations into the Venezuelan government.

"This sends a message that goes all the way to the top," one US official told CNN . "Seizing a foreign head of state's plane is unprecedented in criminal matters. We're sending a clear message here that no one is above the law, and no one is beyond the reach of US sanctions."

The situation in Venezuela has had implications for US policy - with millions fleeing the country, many choosing to migrate to the US-Mexico border.

For years, U.S. officials have sought to disrupt the flow of billions of dollars into the regime. Homeland Security Investigations — the second-largest investigative agency in the federal government — has seized dozens of luxury vehicles, among other assets, bound for Venezuela.

The plane, which is estimated to cost about $13 million, had been in the Dominican Republic in recent months. U.S. officials have not disclosed why, but that gave U.S. officials the opportunity to seize the plane.

Several federal agencies were involved in the seizure, including Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Bureau of Industry and Security, and the Department of Justice.

CNN has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice for comment. US officials have worked closely with the Dominican Republic, which notified Venezuela of the seizure, according to one US official.

One of the next steps, upon arrival in the United States, would be to seek the seizure of the aircraft, which would mean the Venezuelan government would have the opportunity to petition for it and collect evidence from the aircraft.

The United States has recently been pressuring the Venezuelan government to "immediately" release specific data on its presidential election, citing concerns about strongman Maduro's credibility.

Earlier this year, the United States reimposed sanctions on Venezuela’s oil and gas sector in response to the Maduro government’s failure to allow “inclusive and competitive elections.”

Following Maduro's controversial re-election on July 28, Venezuela suspended commercial flights to and from the Dominican Republic.

Federal agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations, have long pursued the Venezuelan government over corruption concerns. Over the past few years, the agency has disrupted $2 billion in illicit revenues or assets from the Venezuelan government, including judgments, forfeitures and bank account liquidations, according to one U.S. official.

In March 2020, the US Department of Justice indicted Maduro, along with 14 current and former Venezuelan officials, on charges of narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and corruption.

“For more than 20 years, Maduro and a number of his high-ranking associates have conspired with the FARC, bringing in tons of cocaine and devastating American communities,” then-Attorney General William Barr said at the time.

The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs has offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to Maduro's arrest or conviction.

In 2017, two nephews of Maduro's wife Cilia Flores were sentenced to 18 years in prison by a federal court in New York City for attempting to smuggle up to 800 kilograms of cocaine into the United States on a private jet; the United States later released the two in a prisoner swap in 2022.

“We see these officials and the Maduro regime plundering the Venezuelan people for their own gain,” the US official said. “You have people who can’t even afford to buy a loaf of bread there and then you have the president of Venezuela riding around in a high-end private jet.”

Poor economic conditions, food shortages and limited access to health care have prompted more than 7.7 million people to flee Venezuela, the largest displacement in the Western Hemisphere.

Source: CNN