U.S. authorities have filed a civil forfeiture complaint against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Moros regarding an aircraft allegedly used in violation of American sanctions and export laws. According to the Justice Department, the Dassault Falcon 900 EX was seized in the Dominican Republic at the request of the U.S. after being purchased under false pretenses and used for the benefit of the sanctioned Venezuelan regime.
The complaint outlines the transactions leading to the aircraft's purchase. Foreign Company 1, reportedly based in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, bought the aircraft from a Florida company for $13,250,000. However, the real buyer was a Venezuelan national with ties to Maduro's government. The aircraft made at least 21 trips to and from Venezuela since May 2023, and was used by Maduro for official visits, including a December 2023 prisoner swap with the U.S.
The complaint also details how the funds for the purchase were routed through international wire transfers involving U.S. dollars and euros from countries like Malaysia. Communication between Foreign Company 1 and the Florida seller used an email address with a ".ae" domain from the United Arab Emirates, despite the representatives posing with Spanish names, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office release.
In May 2024, Maduro's representatives, including military personnel, made two failed attempts to retrieve the aircraft from the Dominican Republic. The U.S. worked with Dominican authorities to apprehend the plane and transport it back to the United States. A second Dassault Falcon jet linked to PdVSA, Venezuela's state oil company, was seized in February.
The Justice Department has charged Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Paster and Jorge Delgado from the Southern District of Florida, along with Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal from the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, with managing the case.
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