SANTO DOMINGO, Feb 6 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio oversaw the confiscation of a Venezuelan government plane in the Dominican Republic on Thursday.
According to a statement from the State Department, U.S. authorities have grounds for filing a civil forfeiture action to reclaim the aircraft based on infringements of U.S. sanctions, export controls, and money laundering.
This marks the second aircraft the United States has seized in the Dominican Republic in recent months.
During his Latin American tour this week, Rubio, in his final destination, witnessed a U.S. Department of Homeland Security official attaching a warrant to the plane, formally taking possession of it while it was undergoing maintenance at a Santo Domingo airport.
The State Department revealed that top officials from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government had utilized the Dassault Falcon 200 aircraft for travel to Greece, Turkey, Russia, Nicaragua, and Cuba.
As a former U.S. Senator, Rubio, whose parents emigrated from Cuba, championed stringent sanctions against Maduro's government, a close ally of Cuba. He reiterated this week that the U.S. does not consider Maduro to be the legitimate leader of Venezuela.
Previously, U.S. President Donald Trump's representative Richard engaged in discussions with Maduro, resulting in the release of six detained Americans and pressing Venezuela to repatriate its citizens earmarked for deportation by the U.S.
Despite facing adamant opposition from Maduro and his administration, who view the sanctions as unjust and intended to debilitate Venezuela, the U.S. denounced Maduro's victory in the disputed July 2024 election, a sentiment shared by the opposition, international observers, and several nations, including the U.S.
The Venezuelan government did not respond to Reuters' request for a comment regarding the aircraft seizure.