US Government Seizes Boeing 747 Cargo Plane Sold by Iranian Airline to Venezuela
The U.S. government has seized a Boeing 747 cargo plane that officials say was previously sold by a sanctioned Iranian airline to a state-owned Venezuelan firm in violation of American export control laws.
Violation of American Export Control Laws
The U.S. government has confiscated a Boeing 747 cargo plane that was sold by an Iranian airline to a Venezuelan company. This transaction is said to have violated American export control laws.
According to the Justice Department, the plane, which was built in the U.S., had arrived in Florida and will be disposed of. The plane was initially transferred from Iran's Mahan Air, which is alleged to have ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, to a Venezuelan cargo airline called Emtrasur. Emtrasur is a subsidiary of a state-owned firm that had been previously sanctioned by the U.S. government.
The sale of the plane without authorization from the U.S. government violates export control laws and also benefits Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. For years, Mahan Air has faced restrictions from the U.S. government.
Plane Detained and Transferred to the U.S.
The Boeing 747 cargo plane was detained by Argentine law enforcement in June 2022. Several weeks later, U.S. officials took possession of the plane. On Sunday, Argentina officially transferred custody of the plane to the U.S.
The Justice Department has revealed that the registered captain of the plane is a former commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard. A flight log recovered by officials shows additional flights after the plane was transferred to Emtrasur, with destinations including Moscow, Caracas, and Tehran. All these flights took place without approval from the U.S. government.
Mahan Air has denied any connection to the aircraft, while Venezuela has demanded that Argentina release the plane.
Criticism and Condemnation
Argentina's role in the seizure of the plane by the U.S. has been met with criticism and condemnation. A Venezuelan-led alliance, known as the Bolivarian Alliance of the Peoples of Our America, has condemned Argentina's actions as 'theft.' They argue that these actions violate international law and are a consequence of the unilateral coercive measures imposed by the U.S. government.
The Bolivarian Alliance, formed in 2004 by Venezuela and Cuba, aims to counter U.S. influence in the region. Nicaragua, Bolivia, and several Caribbean nations are also part of this alliance.
