Venezuela issues arrest warrant for opposition leader, US seizes Maduro's plane

Venezuela's Attorney General Tarek Saab shared a photo of the arrest warrant with the press via a message on the Telegram app.

The arrest warrant came after senior officials alleged that Gonzalez and other members of the opposition should be jailed for their efforts to overturn the July 28 election results, which Venezuela's national electoral body and the country's supreme court declared President Nicolas Maduro the winner.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Photo: Reuters

Prosecutor General Saab also opened a criminal investigation into opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and the opposition vote-counting website, and arrested opposition figures and protesters in the weeks following the election. The protests left at least 27 people dead and some 2,400 arrested.

The arrest warrant was issued after prosecutor Luis Ernesto Duenez requested Gonzalez's arrest for usurpation of office, falsification of public documents, incitement against the law, conspiracy and association, all alleged crimes against the Venezuelan state.

The arrest warrant came hours after US authorities said a plane used by Mr Maduro had been seized in the Dominican Republic, a move criticised by the Venezuelan government as “piracy”.

A Falcon 900 aircraft. Photo: Wiki

In a statement, US Attorney General Merrick Garland said "The US Department of Justice has seized an aircraft that we allege was illegally purchased for $13 million through a front company and smuggled out of the United States...".

Officials described the plane as Venezuela’s Air Force One and have appeared on previous state visits by Maduro around the world. It is the latest development in years of tense relations between the United States and Venezuela.

The aircraft, a Dassault Falcon 900EX, was purchased from a company in Florida, the Justice Department said, and was exported in April 2023 from the United States to Venezuela via the Caribbean.

Bui Huy (according to Reuters, CNN)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/venezuela-ra-lenh-bat-lanh-dao-phe-doi-lap-my-tich-thu-may-bay-cua-tong-thong-maduro-post310358.html