US seizes private jet of Venezuela's Maduro
Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro's airplane was illegally purchased and smuggled out of the US


What happened
The U.S. has seized a luxury jet used by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the Justice Department announced yesterday, saying the Dassault Falcon 900EX was purchased by a shell company in violation of U.S. sanctions and smuggled out of the U.S.
Who said what
The plane, "described by officials as Venezuela's equivalent to Air Force One," was flown to Florida from the Dominican Republic, where it had been undergoing repairs, CNN said. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the aircraft was "illegally purchased for $13 million" for use by "Maduro and his cronies." Venezuela's government said the seizure of Maduro's jet "cannot be described as anything other than piracy."
What next?
Maduro's private jet was one of dozens the U.S. has seized from top Venezuelan leaders either sanctioned or indicted for alleged drug trafficking or corruption. Investigating the "corrupt practices of the Venezuelan government" is a "continued body of work," Anthony Salisbury, a special agent at Homeland Security Investigations, said to The Associated Press. "Obviously, we are not done yet." The U.S. will be pursuing forfeiture with the confiscated Falcon, CNN said, so "the Venezuelan government has a chance to petition for it" after the U.S. searches it for evidence.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Zohran Mamdani: the young progressive likely to be New York City's next mayor
In The Spotlight The policies and experience that led to his meteoric rise
-
The best film reboots of all time
The Week Recommends Creativity and imagination are often required to breathe fresh life into old material
-
'More must be done'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump judge pick told DOJ to defy courts, lawyer says
Speed Read Emil Bove, a top Justice Department official nominated by Trump for a lifetime seat, stands accused of encouraging government lawyers to mislead the courts and defy judicial orders
-
Court allows National Guard in LA as Dodgers repel feds
Speed Read The team said they 'denied entry' to ICE agents seeking to enter their stadium
-
ICE arrests NYC comptroller at courthouse
Speed Read Brad Lander was held for about four hours before being released
-
Trump ramps up Iran threats, demands 'surrender'
Speed Read Trump met with his top aides in the Situation Room on Tuesday
-
ABA sues Trump over 'law firm intimidation policy'
Speed Read Trump has 'used the vast powers of the executive branch to coerce lawyers,' the lawsuit said
-
Judge orders Trump's NIH grant cuts reversed
Speed Read Trump had attempted to slash more than $1 billion in research grants
-
Trump leaves G7 early, warns Tehran to evacuate
Speed Read Trump claimed to have left the summit due to ongoing issues in the Middle East
-
Trump tells ICE to hit blue cities, spare farms, hotels
Speed Read Trump has targeted New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles among other cities