WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States seized a plane used by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from the Dominican Republic to Florida after finding that its purchase violated U.S. sanctions, the U.S. Justice Department said on Monday.
The hijacking came amid mounting pressure on Maduro at home and abroad over a contested July 28 election that he claimed to have won, while the opposition said its polls showed his candidate had narrowly defeated him.
Maduro, his allies and the country's key OPEC oil sector are under heavy US sanctions, and his handling of the election has raised hopes that more measures could be imposed.
“This morning, the Department of Justice seized a plane we suspect was illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States for use by Nicolás Maduro and his associates,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.
US officials say the seizure, which was first reported by CNN, was carried out in cooperation with the Dominican Republic.
The Venezuelan government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
