Video- US seizes Nicolás Maduro’s second plane in the Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo — The crisis that has halted air operations between Venezuela and the Dominican Republic is worsening after the seizure by the administration of US President Donald Trump of a second plane belonging to the government of Nicolás Maduro that is currently in Santo Domingo.

The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, watched US authorities place the seizure order on the plane while visiting Santo Domingo, the last stop on his five-nation tour of Latin America.

The execution of the seizure required Rubio to sign a waiver to a freeze that President Donald Trump imposed on foreign aid to pay more than $230,000 in storage and maintenance fees, according to a State Department document. It also required approval from the U.S. Department of Justice.

According to the document, the plane is a Dassault Falcon 200 that has been used by Maduro and his main advisors, including his vice president and his defense minister, to travel around the world, visiting countries such as Greece, Turkey, Russia, and Cuba, in what Washington describes as violations of US sanctions.

It should be remembered that in September 2024, the United States seized another of Maduro’s planes in the Dominican Republic.