US seeks to seize mysterious plane grounded in Argentina and linked to Iran
Fox News
The U.S. is seeking to seize a Venezuelan plane linked to a U.S.-sanctioned Iranian airline that has alleged ties to terrorist organizations after it landed in Argentina.
Michael Lee is a writer at Fox News. Follow him on Twitter @UAMichaelLee
The mysterious plane landed at Ezeiza International Airport in Argentina nearly two months ago, arriving with a crew of 14 Venezuelans and 5 Iranians. The plane was grounded two days later, and Argentinian federal police found material used for military cyber defense operations on board.
The cargo raised fears that the U.S.-made plane, which the Justice Department said was illegally transferred from U.S.-sanctioned Iranian airline Mahan Air to Venezuela's state-owned Emtrasur Air, could be a cover for Iranian intelligence operations in South America. The Justice Department alleges that Mahan Air has a history of supporting Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force.