Caracas claims he illegally handed over a “stolen” cargo plane to the US

Caracas has opened a criminal investigation into Argentine President Javier Milei for handing over a seized Venezuelan cargo plane to the US. 

The dispute between the two South American countries surrounds the Emtrasur Cargo Boeing 747-300FM, which was initially purchased from Iran’s Mahan Air. In August 2022, the Argentine authorities seized the aircraft at the request of the US. Washington had previously blacklisted Mahan Air as part of export restrictions placed on Iran.

Venezuela has long protested the detention of the aircraft, arguing that Argentina violated international law, and has demanded compensation. In March 2024, Caracas closed its airspace to flights to and from Argentina. 

Announcing the probe on Wednesday, Venezuelan Prosecutor General Tarek Saab said he appointed two prosecutors to process arrest warrants for Milei, his sister Karina Milei, who heads the president’s office, and Argentine Security Minister Patricia Bullrich.

He added that the actions of the Argentine leadership constitute seven different crimes under Venezuelan law, including “aggravated theft” and money laundering. According to Saab, “a competent court here in Venezuela” would soon rule on the warrants.

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In 2024, the impounded aircraft was “illegally” transferred to the US, where it was “completely dismantled,” which “outraged the Venezuelan nation,” Saab said. 

The Argentine Foreign Ministry released a statement “repudiating” the arrest warrants. It argued that the handover of the plane had been cleared by Argentina’s court system in accordance with a bilateral treaty with Washington. “The judiciary is an independent power, with which the government cannot and should not interfere in any way,” the statement read. 

A self-described anarcho-capitalist, Milei became Argentina’s president in 2023 and has promised to “strengthen the strategic alliance” with the US. 

He recently asked the International Criminal Court to order the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who he has described as a “dictator” and accused of human rights abuses. Maduro has called Milei “a right-wing extremist” and accused him of “kneeling to US imperialism.”