The seizure of a presidential jet violates international law, Foreign Minister Ivan Gil Pinto has said<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The US decision to seize a plane used by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is blatant \u201cpiracy,\u201d the South American country\u2019s foreign minister, Ivan Gil Pinto, has said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed media reports that its agents had seized a Dassault Falcon 900EX Aircraft allegedly linked to the Venezuelan leader and his inner circle.
Washington claimed that the aircraft \u201cwas illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States,\u201d adding that it was seized in the Dominican Republic and transferred to Florida by US request \u201cbased on violations of… export control and sanctions laws.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The DOJ alleged that the plane was bought through a Caribbean-based company and delivered to Venezuela in April 2023. Since then, it has been used by the Maduro government, including to transport the Venezuelan leader himself to other countries, the department claimed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivan Gil denounced the move as \u201ca repeated criminal practice that cannot be described as anything other than piracy.\u201d The US, he added, \u201cillegally confiscated an aircraft that has been used by the president of the republic, justifying themselves with the coercive measures that they unilaterally and illegally impose around the world.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maduro\u2019s government also warned that it \u201creserves the right to take any legal action to repair this damage to the nation, as well as all other damages caused by the criminal policy\u201d of Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Eduardo Rodriguez joined the backlash, condemning what he called \u201cthe illegal and fraudulent confiscation\u201d of Maduro\u2019s plane and accusing the US of violating international law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The US and Venezuela have long been at odds, with Washington consistently supporting regime change in the Latin American country. In 2019, the US recognized Juan Guaido, the then-head of Venezuela\u2019s National Assembly, as the legitimate interim president of the country while backing the opposition. In August, the US also recognized Maduro’s main rival, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the winner of the presidential election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Washington has imposed harsh economic sanctions on Venezuela in an effort to pressure the country, including prohibiting US companies from doing business with anyone associated with the Venezuelan government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n