On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) requested authorization to seize an Iranian plane that had been sold to Venezuelan owners and impounded in Argentina due to suspicions that it was associated with global terrorist organisations.
The plane’s unexpected arrival in Argentina on June 8 sparked weeks of speculation and worry within the Argentine government due to its connections to Iran, Venezuela, and companies under U.S. sanctions. Upon landing, local authorities ordered the plane to be grounded.
According to the DOJ, the aircraft could be seized because it broke export control laws, and the confiscation request came after the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia unsealed a warrant for the plane’s seizure on July 19.
The sale of the U.S.-made Boeing 747-300 aircraft from Iran’s Mahan Air to Emtrasur last year, a member of the Venezuelan Consortium of Aeronautical Industries and Air Services (Conviasa), is in violation of U.S. export restrictions, according to the DOJ. The United States has sanctioned both businesses for allegedly working with terrorist groups.
In the announcement, Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen of the DOJ’s National Security Division said, ‘The Department of Justice will not tolerate transactions that violate our sanctions and export laws.’
Because of its connections to the IRGC-QF, a group that the United States has labelled as a terrorist organisation, Mahan Air is under sanctions. Conviasa was subject to sanctions in 2019 as a result of its affiliation with Nicolas Maduro’s administration in Venezuela.
U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves stated, ‘The seizure of this aircraft underscores our willingness to hold responsible those who seek to violate U.S. sanctions and export control regulations.’
When the jet landed in Buenos Aires, there were 14 Venezuelans and 5 Iranians on board. Seven of them are still in Argentina’s custody.
An inquiry for comment was not immediately answered by the Argentine Foreign Ministry.
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