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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 3 sepTember 2024
U.S. government seizes plane used by Venezuelan president,

citing sanctions violations

By ERIC TUCKER, REGINA FAA records indicate it was
GARCIA CANO and JOSHUA exported to St. Vincent and
GOODMAN the Grenadines and de-reg-
Associated Press istered in the U.S. in January
WASHINGTON (AP) — The 2023.
U.S. government has seized Gary Gwynn, owner of Six G,
a luxury jet used by Venezue- declined to comment. “I’ve
lan President Nicolás Maduro been instructed by the FBI
that officials say was illegally not to speak to anyone,” he
purchased through a shell said when contacted by The
company and smuggled out Associated Press.
of the United States in viola- In March, it flew to the Domini-
tion of sanctions and export can Republic, along with a
control laws. Venezuelan-registered plane,
The Dassault Falcon 900EX for what was believed to be
was seized in the Dominican maintenance, never to leave
Republic and transferred to again.
the custody of federal officials Monday’s action follows the
in Florida, the Justice Depart- U.S. government’s earlier sei-
ment said Monday. The plane zure in Argentina of a Boeing
landed at Ft. Lauderdale Ex- 747-300 cargo plane trans-
ecutive Airport shortly before ferred from Iran to a subsidiary
noon Monday, according to of Venezuela’s state-owned
flight tracking websites. Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, left, and first lady Cilia Flores arrive at Beijing Capital airlines. Federal prosecutors
U.S. officials say associates of International Airport in Beijing, China, Sept. 1, 2015. Associated Press have also have seized sev-
the Venezuelan leader in late eral private jets belonging
2022 and early 2023 used a cluding in trips earlier this year ting off the airplane ahead month after ruling party-loyal to top government officials
Caribbean-based shell com- to Guyana and Cuba. It was of a day of discussions over electoral authorities declared and insiders who have been
pany to hide their involve- also involved in a Decem- a territory dispute between Maduro the victor in presiden- either sanctioned or indicted
ment in the purchase of the ber swap on a Caribbean Venezuela and neighboring tial elections without showing in the U.S.
plane, valued at the time at airstrip of several Americans Guyana. any detailed results to back The U.S. has sanctioned
$13 million, from a compa- jailed in Venezuela for a close “Let this seizure send a clear up their claim. The lack of 55 Venezuelan-registered
ny in Florida. The plane was Maduro ally, Alex Saab, im- message: aircraft illegally ac- transparency has drawn in- planes, mostly belonging to
then exported from the U.S. prisoned in the U.S. on money quired from the United States ternational condemnation. state owned oil giant PDVSA.
to Venezuela, through the laundering charges. Attorney for the benefit of sanctioned Meanwhile, the opposition It’s also offered a $15 mil-
Caribbean, in April 2023 in General Merrick Garland said Venezuelan officials cannot managed to obtain more lion bounty for the arrest
a transaction meant to cir- in a statement that it had just fly off into the sunset,” than 80% of vote tally sheets of Maduro to face federal
cumvent an executive order been smuggled out of the Matthew Axelrod, an as- showing Maduro lost by a drug trafficking charges in
that bars U.S. persons from U.S. for use by “Maduro and sistant secretary for export wide margin against former New York.
business transactions with rep- his cronies.” enforcement in the Com- diplomat Edmundo González. The Venezuelan govern-
resentatives of the Maduro State media footage from a merce Department, said in The plane was previously reg- ment’s centralized press
regime. December visit to Saint Vin- a statement. istered in the U.S. and owned office did not immediately
The plane, registered to San cent and the Grenadines CNN first reported the plane by Lorida, Florida-based Six return a message from The
Marino, was widely used by shows Maduro, First Lady Cilia seizure.The seizure announce- G Aviation, a broker that Associated Press seeking
Maduro for foreign travel, in- Flores, and senior officials get- ment comes just over a buys and sells used aircraft. comment Monday.q

Titanic expedition yields lost bronze statue, high-resolution photos

and other discoveries

By PATRICK WHITTLE more than a century later. and loss,” RMS Titanic said
Associated Press The trip to the remote cor- in a statement. A highlight
A bronze statue from the Ti- ner of the North Atlantic was the rediscovery of the
tanic not seen in decades Ocean where the Titanic statue “Diana of Versaille,”
and feared to be lost for sank happened as the U.S. last seen in 1986, and the
good is among the discov- Coast Guard investigates statue now has a clear and
eries made by the company the June 2023 implosion of updated image, the com-
with salvage rights to the the Titan, an experimental pany said.
wreck site on its first expedi- submersible owned by a dif- On a sadder note, a sig-
tion there in many years. ferent company. The Titan nificant section of the rail-
RMS Titanic Inc., a Geor- submersible disaster killed ing that surrounds the ship
gia-based company that all five people on board, bow’s forecastle deck has
holds the legal rights to the including Paul-Henri Nar- fallen, RMS Titanic said.
112-year-old wreck, has geolet, who was director The railing still stood as re-
completed its first trip since of underwater research for cently as 2022, the com-
2010 and released images RMS Titanic. pany said. This image released on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, shows the bow of
from the expedition on Mon- The findings from this sum- “The discovery of the statue the Titanic with a large section of the deck railing now missing
day. The pictures show a site mer’s trip “showcase a bit- of Diana was an exciting photographed this summer by a company with salvage rights to
the wreck site on its first expedition there in many years.
that continues to change tersweet mix of preservation moment. q Associated Press