Venezuela: Nicolas Maduro’s plane confiscated by US justice

Hibapress

The plane used by the leader of the Venezuelan regime, Nicolas Maduro, was seized on Monday by the United States, a month after disputed presidential elections in this South American country, several local media outlets report.

The US Department of Justice had ordered the seizure of the Venezuelan aircraft, a Dassault Falcon 900EX, while it was in the Dominican Republic.

The plane, which had been immobilized since last May at the Santo Domingo airport, was seized with the help of the authorities of this Caribbean country and transferred to Florida for having been “illegally purchased” in the United States.

According to the American justice system, the device was acquired for 13 million dollars “through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States to be used by Nicolas Maduro and his friends.”

U.S. officials believe the plane was operating in violation of export control restrictions to benefit the regime of Nicolas Maduro and his entourage.

The seizure comes a month after Maduro was announced to have been re-elected for a third term, following a widely contested vote in Venezuela and around the world.

The United States and most countries in the South American region have questioned the legitimacy of the results announced by the Electoral Council, calling on the regime in place to make public the minutes of the polling stations.