The United States has seized the plane of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro after it determined its purchase was in violation of U.S. sanctions. The US flew and downed the plane in Florida on Monday, according to two American officials.
The plane has been described by officials as Venezuela's equivalent of the US presidential jet "Air Force One" and has been photographed on previous state visits by Maduro around the world.
"This sends a message to the top," one of the U.S. officials told CNN. "The seizure of the foreign head of state's plane is unheard of for criminal matters. We're sending a clear message here that no one is above the law, no one is above violating U.S. sanctions."
In a statement, Attorney General Merrick Garland said: "The Department of Justice seized an aircraft that we allege was illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and was smuggled from the United States for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies."
The plane was purchased by a company in Florida, the Justice Department said, and was illegally exported in April 2023 from the United States to Venezuela through the Caribbean.