Secretary of State Marco Rubio is finishing a trip to Latin America, where he advanced an interventionist policy in Venezuela, Panama, and Haiti.
During a stop in the Dominican Republic on Thursday, Rubio will announce the seizure of a plane owned by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The US claims the Dassault Falcon 200 has been used to violate American sanctions.
Caracas has been subjected to multiple failed US regime change operations over the past two decades. During his first administration, Trump significantly increased the sanctions on Venezuela. At times, the Joe Biden administration engaged in talks and minor sanctions relief, but Trump’s economic war on Venezuela largely remained in effect while he was out of office.
In September, the US seized another of Maduro’s planes. The aircraft have been used by Venezuelan officials who are making diplomatic trips.
The seizure of Maduro’s aircraft followed what appeared to be a successful meeting between the Venezuelan leader and Trump’s crisis envoy, Ric Grenell.
Last week, Grenell visited Caracas and secured the release of six Americans imprisoned in Venezuela. Maduro also agreed to accept Venezuelans deported from the US and stated he hoped Caracas could move in a positive direction with Washington.
Additionally, Rubio endorsed the proxy war Biden started in Haiti. Under the previous administration, the US bribed Kenya to deploy its soldiers to Haiti in an effort to take control of the capital city back from paramilitary groups and support the Washington-installed government in Port-au-Prince.
Rubio spoke with Kenyan President William Ruto on Thursday and said Trump would continue to back the mission. Nairobi also deployed an additional 150 troops to Port-au-Prince, their arrival in Haiti was timed with Rubio’s trip to Santo Domingo.
After several months in Haiti, the Kenyan forces have failed to wrestle any control from the gangs in Port-au-Prince. In fact, homicides in Haiti increased in 2024, and the gangs now control over 90% of the capital city.
The US Embassy in Port-au-Prince issued a statement that a total of $40.7 million would be distributed to the Haiti National Police and the Kenyan soldiers. President Biden spent over $600 million to fund the Kenyan mission. Before leaving office, Biden also deployed 22 American military aircraft to Haiti to support the Kenyan forces.
The Dominican Republic was also given nearly a quarter of a million dollars in storage fees associated with Maduro’s plane. Those funds also required a waiver from the freeze on foreign assistance.
