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WORLD NEWS Thursday 4 augusT 2022

U.S. seeks possession of Venezuelan 747 grounded in

Argentina

By DANIEL POLITI and ERIC
TUCKER
Associated Press
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina
(AP) — The U.S. Justice De-
partment said Tuesday it
is seeking possession of a
Venezuelan cargo jet that
has been grounded in Ar-
gentina since early June
because it was previously
owned by an Iranian airline
that allegedly has ties to
terror groups.
The request to Argentina
was revealed a day af-
ter an Argentine judge al-
lowed 12 of the 19 crew-
members of the plane to
leave the country as au-
thorities continue to inves-
tigate possible terror ties A Venezuelan-owned Boeing 747, operated by Venezuela’s state-owned Emtrasur cargo line,
of those traveling in the taxis on the runway after landing in the Ambrosio Taravella airport in Cordoba, Argentina, June
Boeing 747. Federal Judge 6, 2022.
Federico Villena said late Associated Press
Monday that the remain-
ing four Iranians and three will not tolerate transac- Rep. Darrell Issa, a Califor- required to remain in Ar-
Venezuelans must stay. tions that violate our sanc- nia Republican, pressed gentina are Abdolbaset
The U.S. request sent to tions and export laws,” Olsen about it at a hearing Mohammadim, Moham-
Argentina on Tuesday fol- Matthew Olsen, the head last week and lamented mad Khosraviaragh and
lowed the unsealing of a of the Justice Depart- that in his view Iran was Saeid Vali Zadeh of Iran
warrant in federal court ment’s national security di- not receiving the scrutiny and Mario Arraga, Víc-
in the District of Columbia vision, said in a statement. it deserved. Olsen said he tor Pérez Gómez and José
that was issued last month “Working with our partners was aware of the case but García Contreras of Ven-
and that argues the U.S- across the globe, we will added: “This is an ongoing ezuela.
made plane should be give no quarter to govern- matter. “What is being investigated
forfeited because of viola- ments and state-sponsored I can’t talk about the spe- is whether, under the ap-
tions of U.S. export control entities looking to evade cifics.” pearance of legal activity,
laws. our sanctions and export The U.S. Commerce De- they are financing terror-
The plane, according to control regimes in service partment took its own ac- ism operations (specifically
the Justice Department, of their malign activities.” tion Tuesday, announcing with Hezbollah) or whether
was transferred from Ira- The moves marked the lat- it had suspended for 180 they are part of a plan that

nian airline Mahan Air est development in the days the export privileges has ties with” Hezbollah,
which officials have al- saga of the mysterious of Emtrasur. the judge wrote.
leged provides support for plane, which landed June The Israeli government Villena emphasized that
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary 6 at Ezeiza International has praised Argentina for connections with Iran’s
Guard Corps-Quds Force Airport outside Buenos Ai- grounding the plane and Revolutionary Guard are

to Emtrasur, a subsidiary of res and was grounded two contends at least some not under investigation be-
Venezuela’s state-owned days later. the Iranian crew members cause Argentina does not
Consorcio Venezolano de The case has raised atten- “were involved directly in consider it to be a terrorist
Industrias Aeronáuticas y tion in several South Ameri- the trafficking of weapons organization.
Servicios Aéreos, or CON- can countries as well as to Syria and the terrorist Mahan Air has denied any
VIASA. CONVIASA is under the United States and Israel organization Hezbollah of ties to the aircraft and Ven-
U.S. sanctions. amid allegations that the Lebanon.” ezuela has demanded that
By transferring the airplane plane was a cover for Irani- Among those who will con- Argentine authorities re-
to the Venezuelan firm in an intelligence operations tinue to be prohibited from lease the plane.
October without prior U.S. in the region. Iran and Ven- leaving Argentina is the Yet Argentine authorities
government authorization, ezuela vehemently deny Iranian pilot of the plane, who searched the plane
Mahan Air violated a 2008 those claims. Gholamreza Ghasemi. found a Mahan Air flight
order issued by the Depart- The issue has caught the Ghasemi is a former com- log documenting the air-
ment of Commerce that attention of members of mander of Iran’s Revo- craft’s flights after the trans-
has since been periodically U.S. Congress. On July 26, a lutionary Guard and is a fer to Emtrasur, including a
renewed, the U.S. says. The dozen U.S. Republican sen- shareholder and board flight to Tehran in April, the
Justice Department says ators wrote a letter to U.S. member of Iran’s Qeshm Justice Department said.
Emtrasur subsequently re- Attorney General Merrick Fars Air, which the U.S. Trea- The plane was carrying
exported the plane be- Garland accusing the Jus- sury Department has said cargo for several Argentine
tween Caracas, Tehran tice Department of failing is controlled by Mahan Air auto parts companies that
and Moscow also without to assist Argentine authori- and provides material sup- it loaded in Mexico before
U.S. government approval. ties in its investigation of the port to the Quds Force. stopping in Caracas and
“The Department of Justice Venezuelan plane. The other crew members arriving in Argentina.q