U.S. seizes Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro's plane

• Maduro was not on the plane at the time.
• His government in a Monday statement said the seizure was "piracy" and an act of U.S. "aggression" over the country's disputed presidential election that the Venezuelan leader claimed he won in July, per CNN, which first report the news.

The latest: Venezuelan authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Edmundo González Urrutia, the opposition presidential candidate that the U.S. and other nations have recognized as the rightful winner of the country's July elections, accusing him of "crimes associated with terrorism."

• González had ignored several summons amid fears it would be used as an excuse to detain him.
• His party, the Democratic Unitary Platform, which is part of the opposition coalition, has said González has been persecuted since the elections and accused Maduro of using "state terrorism" to stay in power, with dozens of political prisoners detained.

Driving the news: The DOJ alleged in a statement that Maduro associates in late 2022 and early 2023 "used a Caribbean-based shell company to conceal their involvement in the illegal purchase of the Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft" from a company based in the Southern District of Florida.

• "The aircraft was then illegally exported from the United States to Venezuela through the Caribbean in April 2023," it added.
• "Since May 2023, the Dassault Falcon, bearing tail number T7-ESPRT, has flown almost exclusively to and from a military base in Venezuela and has been used for the benefit of Maduro and his representatives, including to transport Maduro on visits to other countries."

Zoom in: "The Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security Miami Field Office is investigating the case, along with the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Dorado Task Force Miami," per the DOJ.

What they're saying: Garland said the DOJ "will continue to pursue those who violate our sanctions and export controls to prevent them from using American resources to undermine the national security of the United States."

• A White House National Security Council spokesperson in a statement shared with outlets including Axios called the plane seizure "an important step to ensure that Maduro continues to feel the consequences from his misgovernance of Venezuela."
• The spokesperson said that over the past month, "as demonstrated by a wide variety of independent sources, Maduro and his representatives' have tampered with the results of the July 28 presidential election, falsely claimed victory, and carried out wide-spread repression to maintain power by force."  
• Venezuela's own National Electoral Council rectors last week "further validated that Maduro has provided no evidence that he won this election," the spokesperson said in the email, adding that the U.S. and partners were "working to ensure that the will of the Venezuelan people, as expressed through the July 28 election, is respected."

More from Axios:

• Venezuela's sham election collides with U.S. campaign
• In photos: Venezuela protests surge over Maduro election results

Editor's note: This article has been updated with details of an arrest warrant issued for opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, comment from a White House National Security Council spokesperson and further context.