SVG Named in US Investigation Into Maduro’s Seized Aircraft

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United States federal authorities are investigating a possible connection between St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the seizure of a luxury aircraft allegedly linked to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, according to official statements and international media reports, as part of a wider probe into suspected violations of US sanctions against Venezuela.

The aircraft, a Dassault Falcon 900EX, was seized by US authorities during an ongoing federal investigation. The seizure was confirmed in a press release issued by the United States Department of Justice, which said the aircraft was taken in connection with alleged violations of US export control and sanctions laws involving sanctioned Venezuelan officials.

According to information released by US authorities and reported by international outlets including the Associated Press and Sky News, aviation and flight records show that the jet previously traveled to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as Cuba and Brazil, often with Maduro reportedly on board.

Public records from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), cited in international media coverage, show that the aircraft’s registration in the United States was cancelled in January 2023 after it was listed as being exported to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. FAA documentation further indicates that the jet was sold by a Florida-based company to a limited liability company said to be based in SVG.

However, company registry searches in St. Vincent and the Grenadines have not identified a business registered under the name listed in the US records, according to reports citing those registry checks. Investigators also noted that the aircraft was rapidly exported onward to San Marino, a transfer US officials say may have been structured to obscure the aircraft’s ultimate ownership.

US authorities have stated that the use of third countries in the sale and transfer of the aircraft could constitute a breach of American sanctions targeting the Venezuelan government. Officials have not confirmed whether the then ULP Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines had any knowledge of, or involvement in, the aircraft’s sale or export.

The investigation forms part of a broader US crackdown on assets linked to sanctioned governments and officials. Earlier this year, the United States Department of Justice announced the seizure of a Boeing cargo aircraft in the Miami area that was allegedly sold by a sanctioned Iranian airline to a Venezuelan company in violation of federal export control laws.

Federal authorities say that since intensifying enforcement actions against the Venezuelan government, Homeland Security Investigations and the US Attorney’s Office have seized more than US$500 million in assets, including bank accounts, luxury real estate, high-end vehicles, expensive watches, show horses, and a superyacht.

According to US prosecutors, those assets are linked to dozens of senior Venezuelan officials and business figures accused of engaging in bribery and currency manipulation schemes involving the state-owned oil company PDVSA.

The latest developments come amid heightened US scrutiny of international financial and sanctions-related networks, as Cliplet News continues to report on issues affecting Caribbean jurisdictions cited in official records and international investigations.