CNN: U.S. Seizes Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro’s Airplane in the Dominican Republic

ACOSTA Welcome back to ░░░░░░░░ breaking news Some exclusive ░░░░░░░░ pictures that we re ░░░░░░░░ you right now of ░░░░░░░░ seized plane belonging to ░░░░░░░░ leader Nicolas Maduro Maduro ░░░░░░░░ should note is not ░░░░░░░░ board but the plane ░░░░░░░░ seized by officials for ░░░░░░░░ U S sanctions CNN ░░░░░░░░ Kylie Atwood joins me ░░░░░░░░ Kylie this is pretty ░░░░░░░░ This does not happen ░░░░░░░░ every day where U ░░░░░░░░ authorities go in and ░░░░░░░░ the plane of a ░░░░░░░░ of state But that ░░░░░░░░ essentially what s happened ░░░░░░░░ morning Can you break ░░░░░░░░ down for us ATWOOD ░░░░░░░░ exactly So the plane ░░░░░░░░ Nicolas Maduro the president ░░░░░░░░ Venezuela is now in ░░░░░░░░ hands of the United ░░░░░░░░ As you can see ░░░░░░░░ those images demonstrate that ░░░░░░░░ has just landed in ░░░░░░░░ It was seized by ░░░░░░░░ S authorities in the ░░░░░░░░ Republic That is according ░░░░░░░░ multiple U S officials ░░░░░░░░ spoke with our colleague ░░░░░░░░ Alvarez about this And ░░░░░░░░ this all came to ░░░░░░░░ Jim is that this ░░░░░░░░ was in the Dominican ░░░░░░░░ in recent months We ░░░░░░░░ t know exactly why ░░░░░░░░ that presented the opportunity ░░░░░░░░ U S authorities to ░░░░░░░░ with authorities in the ░░░░░░░░ Republic to actually make ░░░░░░░░ a plan and seize ░░░░░░░░ plane And just to ░░░░░░░░ folks context this plane ░░░░░░░░ effectively the Air Force ░░░░░░░░ of Venezuela This is ░░░░░░░░ plane that cost about ░░░░░░░░ million the U S ░░░░░░░░ It s been used ░░░░░░░░ Maduro to travel around ░░░░░░░░ world to make visits ░░░░░░░░ see other world leaders ░░░░░░░░ the like It s ░░░░░░░░ in the hands of ░░░░░░░░ U S government It ░░░░░░░░ an extraordinary move The ░░░░░░░░ S has for years ░░░░░░░░ trying to disrupt the ░░░░░░░░ of goods and finances ░░░░░░░░ going into Venezuela For ░░░░░░░░ they have disrupted luxury ░░░░░░░░ going into the country ░░░░░░░░ we should note that ░░░░░░░░ is just such a ░░░░░░░░ move because according to ░░░░░░░░ of those U S ░░░░░░░░ who spoke with our ░░░░░░░░ this is unheard of ░░░░░░░░ sends a signal that ░░░░░░░░ one is out of ░░░░░░░░ reach of U S ░░░░░░░░ So they clearly had ░░░░░░░░ eye on this plane ░░░░░░░░ a while that was ░░░░░░░░ used by the president ░░░░░░░░ Venezuela and now it ░░░░░░░░ in U S custody ░░░░░░░░ the process here is ░░░░░░░░ now that it is ░░░░░░░░ the United States Venezuela ░░░░░░░░ petition for the plane ░░░░░░░░ we ll watch and ░░░░░░░░ what happens there But ░░░░░░░░ the United States can ░░░░░░░░ evidence from the plane ░░░░░░░░ just saw some folks ░░░░░░░░ into the plane ACOSTA ░░░░░░░░ ATWOOD U S authorities ░░░░░░░░ in there with what ░░░░░░░░ to be a recording ░░░░░░░░ They ll be able ░░░░░░░░ collect evidence in terms ░░░░░░░░ what the president of ░░░░░░░░ was doing potentially on ░░░░░░░░ plane We ll watch ░░░░░░░░ see how this all ░░░░░░░░ Jim ACOSTA Yeah Kylie ░░░░░░░░ we do want to ░░░░░░░░ to our viewers you ░░░░░░░░ looking at live exclusive ░░░░░░░░ right now or almost ░░░░░░░░ that happened just a ░░░░░░░░ while ago of these ░░░░░░░░ enforcement officials These are ░░░░░░░░ pictures as a matter ░░░░░░░░ fact of these law ░░░░░░░░ officials sort of circling ░░░░░░░░ plane going in and ░░░░░░░░ of this plane It ░░░░░░░░ landed in Fort Lauderdale ░░░░░░░░ now but as Kylie ░░░░░░░░ saying a few moments ░░░░░░░░ it was seized in ░░░░░░░░ Dominican Republic And Kylie ░░░░░░░░ you were saying this ░░░░░░░░ a very aggressive move ░░░░░░░░ the part of the ░░░░░░░░ Administration to go and ░░░░░░░░ this while Venezuela is ░░░░░░░░ the middle of a ░░░░░░░░ of political turmoil right ░░░░░░░░ ATWOOD That s right ░░░░░░░░ we just had the ░░░░░░░░ in Venezuela over the ░░░░░░░░ ACOSTA Yeah ATWOOD U ░░░░░░░░ officials were highly concerned ░░░░░░░░ the results of those ░░░░░░░░ how those elections unfolded ░░░░░░░░ into question the fact ░░░░░░░░ Maduro came out victorious ░░░░░░░░ those elections So the ░░░░░░░░ that they have seized ░░░░░░░░ plane sort of builds ░░░░░░░░ the tension that has ░░░░░░░░ been escalating in recent ░░░░░░░░ between the United States ░░░░░░░░ Venezuela Of course there ░░░░░░░░ been some cooperation between ░░░░░░░░ two countries in terms ░░░░░░░░ a prisoner swap that ░░░░░░░░ saw recently but beyond ░░░░░░░░ is a really tense ░░░░░░░░ and the Biden Administration ░░░░░░░░ it very clear that ░░░░░░░░ are not going to ░░░░░░░░ back They re going ░░░░░░░░ go after Maduro and ░░░░░░░░ try and seize anything ░░░░░░░░ has in terms of ░░░░░░░░ income incoming revenue and ░░░░░░░░ of that that enable ░░░░░░░░ to travel around the ░░░░░░░░ ACOSTA Yeah ATWOOD Now ░░░░░░░░ longer able to do ░░░░░░░░ on this plane ACOSTA ░░░░░░░░ you were just saying ░░░░░░░░ few moments ago this ░░░░░░░░ that country s version ░░░░░░░░ Air Force One And ░░░░░░░░ this is not a ░░░░░░░░ thing And Kylie what ░░░░░░░░ these police officers doing ░░░░░░░░ the plane right now ░░░░░░░░ can see several officers ░░░░░░░░ in and out of ░░░░░░░░ plane They re taking ░░░░░░░░ ATWOOD They re collecting ░░░░░░░░ Jim ACOSTA Yeah Right ░░░░░░░░ And so we don ░░░░░░░░ know exactly what they ░░░░░░░░ going to find on ░░░░░░░░ plane There are still ░░░░░░░░ questions that we re ░░░░░░░░ to learn in terms ░░░░░░░░ why this plane was ░░░░░░░░ in the Dominican Republic ░░░░░░░░ a number of months ░░░░░░░░ But it is noteworthy ░░░░░░░░ the authorities from the ░░░░░░░░ did work with the ░░░░░░░░ States on these efforts ░░░░░░░░ don t know the ░░░░░░░░ time that Maduro was ░░░░░░░░ this plane We do ░░░░░░░░ as I said that ░░░░░░░░ are images of him ░░░░░░░░ around the world meeting ░░░░░░░░ world leaders on this ░░░░░░░░ plane ACOSTA Wow ATWOOD ░░░░░░░░ it ll be interesting ░░░░░░░░ see what they find ░░░░░░░░ board notes from those ░░░░░░░░ of visits and the ░░░░░░░░ potentially We ll just ░░░░░░░░ to watch and see ░░░░░░░░ investigators share with us ░░░░░░░░ have put in requests ░░░░░░░░ comment from of course ░░░░░░░░ Department of Justice DHS ░░░░░░░░ the State Department to ░░░░░░░░ us with more context ░░░░░░░░ regard to how this ░░░░░░░░ came together ACOSTA All ░░░░░░░░ Kylie thank you And ░░░░░░░░ to recap for our ░░░░░░░░ you are looking at ░░░░░░░░ live pictures right now ░░░░░░░░ the plane belonging to ░░░░░░░░ Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro ░░░░░░░░ has been seized by ░░░░░░░░ United States It was ░░░░░░░░ in the Dominican Republic ░░░░░░░░ then flown to Florida ░░░░░░░░ s sitting on the ░░░░░░░░ in Fort Lauderdale When ░░░░░░░░ have more information on ░░░░░░░░ of this we ll ░░░░░░░░ that to you Kylie ░░░░░░░░ thank you very much ░░░░░░░░ ll be right back.”