Authorities announced the seizure of a Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft in the Dominican Republic on Thursday. The aircraft, belonging to Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), the Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural gas company, was allegedly used to circumvent U.S. sanctions and money laundering schemes in support of President Nicolas Maduro's regime. The seizure coincided with Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to the Dominican Republic for discussions with the nation's president.

Secretary Rubio lauded the seizure on social media, emphasizing the U.S. commitment to holding the Maduro regime responsible for illicit activities. He pledged continued collaboration with regional partners to thwart any attempts to bypass U.S. sanctions.

The seizure is linked to a 2019 executive order issued during the Trump administration, prohibiting U.S. citizens from transactions with individuals working for or with PdVSA. Fifteen aircraft were identified by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in January 2020 as falling under this order. According to the Justice Department, PdVSA acquired the plane from the U.S. in 2017 and exported it to Venezuela. Despite sanctions, the aircraft continued to receive servicing and maintenance using U.S.-sourced parts, including brake assemblies, electronic flight displays, and flight management computers, violating U.S. export control and sanctions laws.

Devin DeBacker, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, condemned the use of U.S.-made parts to maintain aircraft operated by sanctioned entities. He reaffirmed the Justice Department's dedication to disrupting schemes that violate U.S. sanctions and export control regulations.

The seized aircraft was allegedly used to transport sanctioned Venezuelan Oil Minister Manuel Salvador Quevedo Fernandez to an OPEC meeting and other senior members of the Maduro regime. The DOJ stated that the plane's use represented a continuation of the regime’s misuse of PdVSA assets. This seizure follows a similar incident in September 2024, where another aircraft owned by Maduro was seized in the Dominican Republic and subsequently flown to the United States by Homeland Security Investigations.

U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne emphasized the importance of asset forfeiture as a law enforcement tool to combat criminal activity. Maduro recently began his third presidential term, a victory marred by widespread skepticism regarding the election's legitimacy. International and domestic critics have questioned the fairness of the electoral process, with opposition candidate Edmundo González widely believed to have won by a significant margin despite Maduro's official claim of victory.