"Clear message"

USA seizes Venezuela’s president’s jet

Venezuela's head of state Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores now have to use other airplanes when traveling abroad.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Venezuelan Presidency/Zurimar CAMPOS)

The USA has confiscated Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's plane. According to a media report, the Dassault Falcon 900, which cost around twelve million euros, was seized in the Dominican Republic and has already been taken to Florida.

According to the news channel CNN, the action was a punishment for a violation of US sanctions. "This is a clear message to the top of the country that no one is above the law or beyond the reach of sanctions," an unnamed US official was quoted as saying.

The United States has been fighting for years against what it sees as illegal financial flows to Maduro and his government. In addition to the freezing of billions in Venezuelan capital, two nephews of the president's wife were even sentenced to 18 years in prison by a New York court - for smuggling drugs. The two were later released as part of a prisoner exchange.

Maduro's re-election is not recognized
The conflict between the USA and the South American state has intensified following the recent presidential election, which was overshadowed by allegations of fraud. The opposition accuses the government of electoral fraud and claims victory for its candidate Edmundo González. Several countries, including the USA, Peru and Argentina, officially recognized the opposition candidate as the legitimate winner of the election in the days following the ballot. The European Union and the Organization of American States also questioned the official election results.