The Biden-Harris administration has seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s private jet and transported it to Florida, according to reports. The seizure was carried out by several U.S. federal agencies, which cited violations of U.S. sanctions as the reason for the confiscation of the aircraft, known as Venezuela’s Air Force One, as reported by the Daily Mail. U.S. officials detained the plane in the Dominican Republic and flew it to Florida on Monday.
“This sends a message all the way up to the top,” a U.S. official told CNN. “Seizing a foreign head of state’s plane is unheard of for criminal matters. We’re sending a clear message here that no one is above the law, and no one is above the reach of U.S. sanctions.”
Maduro’s plane, estimated to be worth around $13 million, is regularly used for his international state visits.
While the Biden-Harris administration has not disclosed the specific reasons for the plane’s seizure, officials indicated that its landing in the Dominican Republic presented a strategic opportunity to act.
The operation involved several cooperating federal agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Justice, and agents from the Bureau of Industry and Security within the Department of Commerce.
This story is developing, stay tuned for more updates