The seizure of the aircraft came amid continuing pressure on Maduro at home and abroad over a contested July 28 election that he claimed to have won, while the opposition said its vote tallies showed its candidate to have soundly defeated him.
The Venezuelan government, which confirmed Maduro had used the plane, said in an afternoon statement the seizure was "nothing but piracy", illegal and a "repeated criminal practice" by the U.S.
Maduro, his associates and the OPEC member-state's vital oil sector are under heavy U.S. sanctions, and his handling of the election has raised the prospects that further measures could be imposed.
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