Biden-Harris admin seizes Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro’s plane

A myriad of federal agencies tasked with appropriating the aircraft claim that the plane ownership of the plane was contrary to US sanctions, according to the Daily Mail. The plane, according to US officials, is known as Venezuela's Air Force One, and the US retained the plane in the Dominican Republic and flew it to Florida on Monday.

“This sends a message all the way up to the top,” one of the US officials told CNN. “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.”

Maduro's plane is estimated to be worth about $13 million and is routinely used for his state visits around the world.

The Biden-Harris administration has not revealed precisely why the plane was taken but determined that its landing in the Dominican Republic provided a good opportunity to do so.

Cooperating federal agencies who participated in the plane’ seizure included Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Justice and Commerce agents within the Bureau of Industry and Security.

Fox News reporter Bill Melugin posted on X:

“NEW: Per US official, the US has seized Venezuelan president Nicholas Maduro's airplane in the Dominican Republic, and HSI flew it back to the US in Fort Lauderdale, FL this morning. I'm told the $13 million plane is Maduro's version of Air Force One, used for state visits around the world, and it was seized in violation of sanctions laws and export controls, specifically, a violation of US executive order 13884, signed by President Trump in 2019.”

“Per US officials, this was the result of a joint investigation between HSI and the US Dept of Commerce. The plane is a Dassault Falcon 900-EX. Relations between the US and Venezuela have been very frosty in recent years.”

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