Hear Venezuela’s response to the US seizing Nicolas Maduro’s plane

Well. Venezuela's government accuses the United States of piracy and escalating aggression after seizing President Nicolas Maduro's plane. U.S. says the jet was acquired in violation of sanctions, among other criminal activity. CNN's Ana Liebman has details. This jet was in the Dominican Republic for maintenance when U.S. authorities seized it. FBI agents flew it from the Dominican Republic to Florida. There you can see video obtained exclusively by CNN as it landed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and was taxiing around there. It's not quite the 747 jumbo jet that the U.S. uses as Air Force One, but it is, according to two U.S. officials. Venezuela's version of Air Force One, used by President Nicolas Maduro to fly around to meetings and to other events there. According to Garland, it was purchased for some $13 million by a shell company before it was illegally flown out of the country. Now, the U.S. and Venezuela have long had a frosty relationship that's only gotten worse. Perhaps even almost outright hostile since the July presidential election. The U.S., not recognizing the claimed results of that election, according to Maduro's own regime, he won with some 51% of the vote. The U.S. not recognizing that, is a free and fair election. In fact, many other countries not recognizing it as well. It is because of the results or claimed results of that election that the U.S. reimposed sanctions on Venezuela's oil and gas industries. Venezuela said the seizure of that jet was, quote, piracy. Foreign. Liebermann, CNN in Washington. For more. Now we're joined by Brett Bruen, president of the Global Situation Room, a private consulting firm focusing on crisis management and international security. Before that, he held senior positions on the national Security Council and at the US State Department. But it's good to see you. Good to be with you, John. Okay, so here's part of a statement from the U.S. Attorney General, Merrick Garland, on the seizure of his plane. The Justice Department seized a court aircraft we allege was illegally purchased for $13 million for use by Nicolas Maduro and his cronies. The Justice Department goes on to say the plane was illegally exported in April of 2023 from the United States to Venezuela via the Caribbean. So what? This is all about violation of US sanctions. This wasn't done to send a message to Maduro to, you know, hit him where it really hurts. Was it a bit of both? Well, it's all about the timing. And quite frankly, the Biden administration has been looking for ways symbolic as well as some signify in ways that they can send a message to Caracas. And by taking Maduro plane, I think they have achieved a small modicum of that message to say, you know, symbolically, but also, you know, for a head of state, not to be able to fly around in their own private jet with all of the, you know, John, I was looking at some of the features this jet has earlier on today. It's going to be a little bit less comfortable for Maduro on his next flight abroad. Yeah. Just what sort of play was this? I don't know, it's a luxury plane, but what were the features? Well, look, it's got a private bedroom. It has, nicely upholstered seats and nicely finished, cabin. So he has trips around Latin America. were a little bit more comfortable than they had been prior to the $30 million purchase of this, this plane at the same time, though. Look, I think we're seeing and just within the last few hours, there have been some reports that, the US plans to sanction, Venezuelan election officials that Maduro had, use in order to try and steal these elections. So they are going to take other steps there, real question here is, will it amount to more than a hill of beans, or will it simply just be a whole lot of showmanship? As you said in the past, that hasn't, swayed, the Venezuelan leaders very much. Well, we also have this statement from the US Commerce Department. Let this seizure send a clear message. Aircraft illegally acquired from the United States for the benefit of sanctioned Venezuelan officials cannot just fly off into the sunset. Meantime, in Venezuela, a government statement described the seizure of the plane as piracy, saying the US illegally seized aircraft, that it's being used by the president of the Republic. They actually refer to it, seizing it again, another aircraft. This is an example of the supposed rules based order which, disregarding international law, seeks to establish the law of the strongest hmhm. Okay, so just how difficult is it to seize a plane used by a head of state? and also, would you expect reprisals, perhaps? yes. From the Maduro government. Well, let's start with this is not, unprecedented. the U.S. has actually seemed about, seized about 70 Venezuelan planes, most of them, associated with head of asset, the state oil company. they even just within the last year seized a plane in Argentina. So this is a common practice. But as you said, seizing the plane of a head of state is a stronger step. It sends a message to not only to Venezuelan leaders, but quite frankly, to leaders around the world who still gotten gains in those ill gotten planes are going to wind up in our hands. If, in fact, you cross the United States, and especially as Maduro has, by trying to just blatantly steal another term in office. And speaking of which, all of this does come a month after Maduro declared himself winner of that much disputed election. And ever since, according to the US State Department, Maduro has ratcheted up repression through politically targeted threats, unjust and indiscriminate detentions and censorship, and a desperate attempt to hold on to power by force. His actions have exacerbated the Venezuelan crisis and left him increasingly isolated from the international community. Well, even more so now without his plane. on the surface, at least, these elections could be playing out. It's the previous elections. Maduro claims victory in a rigged vote. The opposition cries foul protest erupts, people get killed. Is it will be any different this time? John, I wish I could answer that. My, cynical science is. No. we're going to see a lot of, the steps that we have seen in the past. The US, perhaps, Europe in some respects will go through all of these motions, but it isn't clear that there, is a plan, a strategy that they can actually use to effectively fight and, apply pressure to create more deterrence. Maduro just bulldozing ahead. because let's face it, he's already pretty isolated. There was an effort made by but so far the head of state in Brazil to try to negotiate, some exit from Maduro that hasn't, quite frankly, yielded very much. it did yield proposal that we have a do over, but I don't think there really are do overs in democracy. So, we're left without a great path forward for the West. Yeah. Great to have you with us. Really appreciate the insight and the analysis as well. Good to see you both.