US to seize Venezuelan Amtrak plane held in Argentina

This weekend, the United States will take an Iranian plane belonging to the Amtrak airline to Venezuela, which has been in custody in the Argentine city of Iziza since June 2022.

“They will take him between this Saturday night and early Monday morningBut they asked not to give details of when he will leave,” Argentina’s Clarin newspaper published.

Likewise, he highlighted that the aircraft was “faulty” as US officials had maintained it continuously so that it would not lose its flight capability. “They loaded it with fuel, rolled it on the track and also fixed its front axle,” he explained.

He also noted that there are US sheriffs, agents and officials working with new Argentine authorities from the Ministries of Security, Justice and the Interior so that the plane’s takeoff is a process of “maximum secrecy”.

If completed, the seizure would come more than a month after Judge Federico, who has jurisdiction over the Iziza International Airport, accepted a request by the United States through the District Court of Colombia in October 2022, which requested the Argentine authorities. airplane

This aircraft, a Boeing 747-300 is accepted as a freighter, He was detained when he landed to load fuel and no oil company agreed to supply him. would be sanctioned by the US for alleged use for international terrorist activities.

Its crew consisted of 14 Venezuelans and five Iranians, whose purposes of the voyage were never known.But the suspicion of espionage gave something to talk about.

When the aircraft was intercepted, it was apparently transporting components intended for the production of auto parts and instrument panels. and seats for Volkswagen brand Taos vans. However, according to the BBC; SAS Automotriz SA, the company that acquired those auto parts, and Volkswagen Argentina’s company issued statements dissociating themselves from the Amtrasure flight.