US to seize Venezuelan president's plane in Dominican Republic
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The Trump administration is set to seize a second plane owned by the Venezuelan government in the Dominican Republic.
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Marco Rubio appears before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for his confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, on January 15, 2025. (AP)
Reports on Thursday suggest that the Trump administration is set to seize a second plane linked to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government, currently located in the Dominican Republic.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to announce the move on Thursday during his visit to Santo Domingo, which marks the final stop of his Central American tour.
According to a US official and a State Department document obtained by The Associated Press, Rubio’s approval was required for the foreign aid freeze waiver request to cover over $230,000 in storage and maintenance costs for the aircraft.
The Department of Justice also authorized the move. The waiver request, submitted last week, has been approved, with Rubio poised to announce the seizure during a "law enforcement engagement."
The aircraft in question, a Dassault Falcon 200, has been used by Maduro and his top aides—including the vice president and defense minister—for international travel, including to countries like Greece, Turkey, Russia, and Cuba, all of which the US government alleges to be violations of sanctions.
This action follows the US seizure of another of Maduro’s planes in September 2024, a Dassault Falcon 900EX.
Last year in February, Maduro hit back at Argentinian President Javier Milei on February 16, 2024, three days after the United States fulfilled the seizure of a Venezuelan plane held in Buenos Aires since June 2022.
In a televised statement, Maduro said, referencing his counterpart, "They stole our plane... Milei the bandit stole the plane from Venezuela. Javier Milei, the hero of the extreme right," adding, "He acts crazy or he is crazy or both at the same time."
US authorities detained the Venezuelan cargo jet, claiming it formerly belonged to an Iranian airline purportedly associated with the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps. Caracas condemned the decision, stating that the planes were transferred to the US covertly.
