Argentine judge rules Venezuelan-Iranian plane seizure at US request

An Argentine judge decided this Thursday, at the request of the United States Justice, to seize the Venezuelan-Iranian plane held in the country for possible links with international terrorism, according to judicial sources.

The decision was adopted by Federico Villena, federal judge for the city of Lomas de Zamora, who also authorized the confiscation of the plane, which was held at the international airport of Ezeiza, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, by representatives of the FBI and the Security Police. Airport.

The judicial sources consulted by Efe specified that the decision was adopted at the request of a federal court of the District of Columbia and pursuant to a treaty of mutual legal assistance in criminal matters between Argentina and the United States.

On August 2, the United States Department of Justice had sent a request from the Columbia court to Argentina to confiscate the plane, alleging that the aircraft is subject to sanctions, once its transfer from the Iranian company Mahan Air to Emtrasur, a subsidiary of the Venezuelan Consortium of Aeronautical Industries and Air Services (Conviasa), violates US export laws.

Both companies were sanctioned by the government American for alleged logistical collaboration with terrorist organizations.

The plane arrived in Argentina on June 6, coming from Mexico and after stopping in Venezuela.

Two days later, he left Argentina to load fuel in Uruguay, but had to return to Ezeiza airport, in Buenos Aires, because the neighboring country did not authorize his landing.

Upon returning to Ezeiza, the Justice Argentina ordered the immobilization of the aircraft and ordered that the 19 crew of the plane – five Iranians and 14 Venezuelans – could not leave the country.

In recent days, different representatives of the Venezuelan government have demanded the return of the aircraft held in Argentina, a Boeing 747 Dreamliner

In this sense, the dictator of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, warned that the United States intends to steal the plane.

In turn, the first deputy President of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), Diosdado Cabello, demanded the return, “as soon as possible”, of the plane, which, in his opinion, was “hijacked” by the government of Alberto Fernández.

Recent Articles