Dassault Falcon 900EX Owned, Operated By Nicolás Maduro

The U.S. Department of Justice announced it seized an aircraft owned and operated for the benefit of Nicolás Maduro and his associates in Venezuela. The seizure was based on alleged violations of U.S. export control and sanctions laws.

The aircraft was seized in the Dominican Republic and transferred to the Southern District of Florida. President Trump in 2019 issued an Executive Order prohibiting any U.S. person from engaging in transactions with anyone associated with the Venezuelan government. The U.S. Department of Commerce also established export controls for items intended in any way for a Venezuelan military or intelligence user. An investigation during 2022 and 2023 found that Maduro affiliates allegedly used a shell company to conceal their purchase of the aircraft from a company based in the Southern District of Florida. The aircraft was exported to Venezuela via the Caribbean company used for the purchase, and was found to have been used almost exclusively to and from a military base in Venezuela and for transporting Maduro and his representatives to other countries.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement, “This morning, the Justice Department seized an aircraft we allege was illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies. The Department will continue to pursue those who violate our sanctions and export controls to prevent them from using American resources to undermine the national security of the United States.”

Matthew S. Axelrod, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement of the Department of Commerce added, “Let this seizure send a clear message: aircraft illegally acquired from the United States for the benefit of sanctioned Venezuelan officials cannot just fly off into the sunset. It doesn’t matter how fancy the private jet or how powerful the officials – we will work relentlessly with our partners here and across the globe to identify and return any aircraft illegally smuggled outside of the United States.”

FMI:  www.justice.gov/