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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio formally seized another aircraft belonging to the Venezuelan President’s Nicolas Maduro government on Thursday.
The relationship between Karakas and Washington has been tension for decades, and a similar example comes after the plane’s occupation in September when the Venezuela plane was occupied in the Dominican Republic.
The country’s homeland connected to the US Homeland Security in Santo Domingo, both aircraft were used by high -level Venezuela officials while traveling. Under the Biden administration, another plane was deported to Florida during its occupation in September.
Lopez said the plane was caught on Thursday, with the Dasalt Falcon 200 EX Tel Number YV-3360, under US approval. The plane has been held in Sanato Domingo since April 2024. Rubio, as a senior US diplomat on his first trip to the Dominican Republic, was seen as a warrant tape at the aircraft door.
According to a US Department of Justice statement, the plane was purchased by Venezuela’s State Oil Company PDVSA in 2017 from the United States. After the implementation of PDVSA sanctions, the aircraft was “served and maintained on numerous occasions using parts of the United States,” which violates US export control and sanctions laws.
Lopez told Rubio that thanks to the leadership of the US Embassy, he managed to fix the other aircraft and get money on Thursday to move forward. He will be taken to Miami in the coming months.
Lopez explained to Rubio, “collectively, two aircraft, they give us a treasure of intelligence,” including a list of all Venezuela’s Air Force members “and their personally identified information, receipts , And verification of flight, “Lopez explained to Rubio.
He added that “what is important is also transporters,” he added, with which he will be able to find information that was blocked by the pilots in the flight.
CNN has reached Venezuela’s government for comments.
In se Investigations are underway in the Dominican Republic.
Authorities have known about these two aircraft for at least five years. A 2020 News release The US Treasury says the plane occupied by Rubio “was used in 2019 to transport senior members of the former Maduro government,” which included a journey of OPEC meeting in the United Arab Emirates.
In se Was smuggled outside. ” According to the Foreign Minister of the Dominican Republic Roberto Alvarez, the United States requested that it be requested to mobilize it so that it was “equipped for evidence and items associated with fraudulent activities, illegal activities and money laundering. Search for smuggling. ”
After the plane’s occupation, officials declared it equal to Venezuela of the US President Air Force One. The Venezuelan government in September termed the plane’s occupation “pirate” and accused Washington of increasing the “aggression” by Maduro’s government.
For years, US officials have tried to stop billions of dollars in government in Venezuela. Homeland Security Investigation – The Federal Government’s second largest investigative agency – other than other Venezuela assets, seized dozens of luxury vehicles.
Federal agencies went away after corruption in Venezuela, but the US pressure intensified after Maduro’s controversial election for the third presidential term in July.
Last year, the United States imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s oil and gas sector in response to the Maduro government’s failure to allow the Maduro government to have a “comprehensive and competitive elections”.
In March 2020, the US Department of Justice Maduro chargedWith 14 current and former former officials of Venezuela, with Naro-terror, drug trafficking and corruption. Maduro’s government has long denied any involvement in drug trafficking and rejected criticism of last year’s election results.
