SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — The administration of former President Trump is preparing to confiscate a second airplane tied to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro that is currently located in the Dominican Republic.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to formally announce this action during his Thursday visit to Santo Domingo, which marks the conclusion of his five-nation tour across Central America. This announcement comes from a U.S. official with knowledge of the situation, along with a document from the State Department that has been disclosed.
To facilitate the confiscation of the aircraft, Rubio had to authorize a waiver for foreign aid that allows for the payment of over $230,000 to cover storage and maintenance costs associated with the plane. Additionally, he needed approval from the Department of Justice for this action.
The waiver request, submitted at the start of the previous week, has successfully received approval, and Rubio is anticipated to share the news at what the State Department has characterized as a “law enforcement engagement.”
The airplane in question is a Dassault Falcon 200, previously utilized by Maduro and senior officials in his government for international travel to countries such as Greece, Turkey, Russia, and Cuba. The U.S. government describes these travels as breaches of current sanctions imposed on Venezuela.
This seizure follows closely behind a recent visit made by Trump’s special envoy for missions, Richard Grenell, who traveled to Caracas to engage in discussions with Maduro regarding the return of Venezuelan citizens who had unlawfully entered the United States. Grenell’s trip culminated in the return of six Americans who had been detained in Venezuela.
This is not the first airplane belonging to Maduro that has been seized by the U.S.; another one was confiscated in September 2024 from the Dominican Republic. At that time, the Justice Department revealed that associates of Maduro had utilized a Caribbean-based front company to obscure their role in acquiring the aircraft, a Dassault Falcon 900EX valued at $13 million, from a Florida-based firm in late 2022 and early 2023.
In conjunction with Rubio’s initial stop on his Central American itinerary, which was in Panama, the State Department declared that Panama had agreed to permit U.S. warships to pass through the Panama Canal at no cost. This decision addresses one of the grievances President Trump had raised regarding the canal, asserting that he would reclaim it from Panama unless the country imposed stringent restrictions on Chinese influence within the region.
The announcement clarified that the elimination of transit fees for U.S. governmental vessels could save millions annually. An initial agreement to waive the fees was reached during Rubio’s visit to Panama on Sunday, albeit it had yet to be formalized at the time of reporting.
