On Monday, September 2, the United States revealed that it had officially seized the private jet of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. United States authorities determined that the acquisition of the aircraft was in direct violation of several US sanctions. The US stated that the aircraft was purchased illegally through a shell company and then later smuggled out of the United States. One of the officials involved spoke to CNN about the seizure, stating,
“This sends a message all the way up to the top. 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.”
About the affected US sanctions
The aircraft was seized by US authorities while it was in the Dominican Republic. The aircraft was allegedly undergoing maintenance prior to its seizure. However, there was no official record of Maduro’s private jet in the country at the time, per CNN. Several federal agencies, such as Homeland Security Investigations, Commerce agents, the Bureau of Industry and Security, and the US Justice Department, worked with the Dominican Republic government to coordinate the seizure of the aircraft. After the aircraft was seized, it was transported to Florida.
Photo: Phuong D. Nguyen | Shutterstock
Now that the aircraft is in the US, the federal government will work to pursue forfeiture of the aircraft. This allows the Venezuelan government to petition the US to get the aircraft back. However, in the meantime, the US government will collect additional evidence from the aircraft.
According to CNN, Anthony Salisbury, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, spoke about the seizure. Salisbury stated,
“The plane was seized in violation of US sanctions with Venezuela and other criminal matters that we’re still looking at regarding this aircraft.”
The Justice Department seized the aircraft due to several violations of US sanctions. Specifically, this private jet was purchased by a company in Florida for $13 million. However, shortly after it was purchased, the Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft was smuggled from the US to Venezuela through the Caribbean. The initial illegal exportation of the aircraft took place in April 2023.
The sanctions have been in place since earlier this year, specifically in response to the Venezuelan government’s failure to allow a competitive election in the country. In March 2020, the US Department of Justice also charged Maduro with several crimes, including drug trafficking and corruption. There is also an active reward of up to $15 million for information leading to Maduro’s arrest.
About the Dassault Falcon 900EX
Since the aircraft was exported, it has been used to transport Maduro and other Venezuelan officials around the country. It was based at a military base in Venezuela, but it has also been used for international travel. The Dassault Falcon 900EX is a prominent private jet for international travel. Dassault introduced the aircraft nearly forty years ago, in 1984. Over 500 have been produced, and it has been utilized as executive transport for many companies and several governments, including the French Air and Space Force and the Japan Coast Guard.
The Dassault Falcon 900EX has the following performance specifications:
Length 66.4 feet Height 24.7 feet Wingspan 63.4 feet Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) 48,300 pounds Range 4,500 nautical miles (5,175 miles) Maximum cruising speed 482 knots (555 miles per hour) Service ceiling 51,000 feet