The United States took over the plane belonging to Venezuela's Presidency from the Dominican Republic and flew it to Florida, citing its purchase as a violation of the unilateral US sanctions and other alleged criminal concerns, CNN reported according to US officials.

Officials have described the plane as Venezuela’s equivalent of Air Force One, the report added.

“This sends a message all the way up to the top,” one US official told the American broadcaster.

“Seizing the 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, no one is above the reach of US sanctions.”

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According to CNN, several federal agencies participated in the seizure, including Homeland Security Investigations, Commerce agents from the Bureau of Industry and Security, and the Justice Department. YS officials collaborated closely with the Dominican Republic, which informed Caracas of the US action, according to one of the US officials.

When the aircraft arrives in the US, one of the next legal steps is to initiate a forfeiture process, meaning the US government will work to take permanent ownership of the presidential airplane.

Neocolonial ambitions

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro was reelected last month for a third term.

Before the final vote count and audit were released, the US, EU, and other affiliated countries and prominent figures rushed to incite the Venezuelan opposition to strongly reject the results and urged the world to accept Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as the winner instead. 

Last Saturday, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto stated that the United States is exposing its neocolonial ambitions and undermining the sovereignty of the Venezuelan people by attempting to replicate the "embarrassing Juan Guaido episode" with a second version involving Edmundo Gonzalez.

Gil Pinto further remarked that the US statements are "based on lies," which their intelligence agencies have employed for over 30 years to instigate government changes and "install puppet rulers" aligned with their interests.

He emphasized that the Venezuelan people have reaffirmed their choice of President Maduro through a free and democratic vote, demonstrating that Venezuela remains an independent state with robust institutions—a stance that has garnered appreciation and respect from the majority of nations.

"The plan of terrorism and street violence has failed, the so-called transition process has faltered, and, most importantly, the strategy of rebellion has been unsuccessful, as the democratic resolve of the Venezuelan people has triumphed."