INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The United States confiscated a Venezuelan government jet in the Dominican Republic on February 6, 2025, during Secretary of State Marco
oil firm PDVSA, used by Maduro and aides for trips to Russia, Iran, and Cuba
The United States Department of Justice confirmed the plane violated sanctions by using American-made parts after 2017 export
funds to cover storage costs
This action follows a September 2024 seizure of a $13 million Dassault Falcon linked to a Caribbean shell company.Both aircraft provided
Though Biden temporarily eased restrictions in 2022 to stabilize energy markets, penalties were reinstated in 2024 after Maduro barred
alliances.For policymakers, the seizures exemplify growing United States reliance on extraterritorial asset forfeiture to pressure
the strategy risks deepening humanitarian crises that drive migration and regional instability
financial isolation can spur political change without exacerbating collapse
The outcome may reshape strategies for engaging sanctioned states globally.
