Venezuela Slams US for 'Brazen Theft' of Government Aircraft

The clash between the two nations escalates as Venezuela vows to retaliate for the recent confiscation of its Dassault Falcon 200 jet in the Dominican Republic.

Venezuela has voiced strong condemnation following the recent seizure of one of its government airplanes in the Dominican Republic, a move labeled by the Venezuelan authorities as "brazen theft." The operation, which occurred on Thursday, was reported to have been overseen by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and marks the second instance within the last year where US officials have confiscated a Venezuelan aircraft in the Caribbean.

According to US authorities, the seizure was justified on grounds of violating US sanctions, export controls, and money laundering laws. The Venezuelan foreign ministry did not hold back in its criticism, branding Rubio an "aircraft thief" and denouncing the seizure as an act of aggression.

The US has long imposed sanctions on Venezuela, citing widespread accusations of criminality, corruption, and human rights abuses under President Nicolás Maduro. Recently, financial sanctions targeted a number of Venezuelan officials in response to the disputed results of the previous year’s presidential election, which was contested by opposition leaders who claimed the process was rigged in favor of Maduro.

During a press briefing on the confiscation, Rubio stated, "The message is that when there are sanctions because they are violating human rights… these sanctions are going to be applied and reinforced." Rubio's remarks come amid lingering ties between Iran and Venezuela, with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian recently extending congratulations to Maduro following his inauguration for a third term, asserting that attempts to sanction Venezuela are "cruel and doomed to failure."

The aircraft in question, a Dassault Falcon 200 jet, had been detained previously by Dominican Republic authorities after US claims regarding its connections to strict sanctions against Venezuela. Venezuelan officials had reportedly used the plane for various international trips to countries including Greece, Turkey, Russia, Nicaragua, and Cuba, before it was brought to the Dominican Republic for maintenance.

In light of this latest development, the Venezuelan foreign ministry pledged to take all necessary actions to denounce the seizure and demanded the immediate return of the aircraft. This confiscation follows the earlier seizure of a different government plane, which had been used to transport President Maduro abroad, indicating that this issue is likely to remain a point of contention between the two nations.