09 Jun Silence in the Skies: Accidents or Arrangements? The Case of Citation YV-3217 and Learjet YV-3191
By,
Jesús Romero. Co-Founder & Senior Fellow, MSI²
In the recent history of Venezuelan aviation, two air crashes have raised more questions than answers: that of the Learjet 25D, tail number YV-3191 (2017), and the Citation I, tail number YV-3217 (2025).
Both executive jets departed from Simón Bolívar International Airport (Maiquetía), vanished from radar within minutes, and violently crashed into the Caribbean Sea. The technical similarities, the political profiles of the passengers, and the broader context surrounding each incident suggest these were not simply accidents.
Two Flights, One Destination: The Bottom of the Sea
YV-3191 took off on August 19, 2017, en route to Barcelona, Anzoátegui. On board were five individuals: two pilots and three passengers, including Miguel Ángel Pérez Oubiña, the son of then-Minister Miguel Pérez Abad. The Learjet crashed into the sea, leaving no survivors.
Eight years later, on June 3, 2025, the Citation I YV-3217 departed for Isla de Margarita with five people on board, reportedly including Ana Karina Tremont Salazar, daughter of Major General José Luis Tremont Jiménez, head of Venezuela’s Aerospace Defense Command (CODAI). Also reportedly on board was her mother, Milagros Salazar. As with the Learjet, the Citation crashed into the sea shortly after takeoff, with no distress call, and wreckage was recovered days later off the coast of La Guaira.
Disturbing Coincidences
The parallels between both crashes are too precise to ignore. Below is a comparative summary of the key aspects of each incident:
| Element | Learjet YV-3191 (2017) | Citation I YV-3217 (2025) |
| Departure Airport | Maiquetía | Maiquetía |
| Minutes in Flight | <10 minutes | <10 minutes |
| Impact Location | Caribbean Sea | Caribbean Sea |
| Passengers with Political Ties | Son of a Minister | Family of Air Defense Chief |
| Official Investigation | Partial, no complete report | No report as of June 8 |
| Recovered Debris | Floating fragments | Fuselage, vests, human remains |
Beneath the Surface: Arrangements and Timing
Both incidents occurred during moments of high internal tension within the Maduro regime. In 2017, there was a quiet but intense purge of high-ranking officials. In 2025, multiple corruption scandals and fractures within the military command led to internal investigations and rumors of betrayal.
The presence of direct family members of powerful officials on discrete flights, lacking public security protocols, official statements, or timely rescue actions, suggests that more than technical failure may be behind these events.
Echoes from the Narco-Sky: What I Revealed in Final Flight: Queen of Air
As a retired U.S. intelligence officer and author of Final Flight: Queen of Air, I spent years investigating how a network of U.S.-registered aircraft, under the registry scheme of Debra Lynn Mercer-Erwin, was used by the Cartel of the Suns, FARC, and elements of the Venezuelan regime to traffic over 120 tons of cocaine per year from Venezuela to Central America and the United States.
My investigation revealed that Venezuela’s airspace was not just vulnerable—it was deliberately cleared by top military figures. The CODAI, in coordination with certain ZODI (Integral Defense Zones), allowed illegal overflights, clandestine airstrips, and unmonitored operations. I also observed that when these networks were exposed or compromised, witnesses, operators, or aircraft mysteriously vanished—often under the cover of so-called accidents.
False Flags and Preventive Purges: Who Really Falls From the Sky?
In June 2025, as unofficial investigations into the Citation YV-3217 crash intensified, regime strongman Diosdado Cabello announced on national television that a second alleged DEA agent had been arrested in Venezuela. According to Cabello, this individual posed as a member of the National Police and planned to frame a Venezuelan Air Force major in a narco-trafficking setup.
This is a familiar tactic: the “false flag” as a pretext for purging insiders, sending a message of control, and painting internal enemies as foreign agents. When trafficking routes collapse and alliances fracture, the reaction is rarely judicial—it’s surgical, covert, and often deadly.
Is it a coincidence that, while Cabello denounces U.S. infiltration, a jet carrying the family of Venezuela’s top air defense commander crashes with no answers? I don’t think so.
Record Seizures and Panic in the Narcosphere
In May 2025 alone, U.S.-led interdiction operations in the Caribbean resulted in the seizure of more than 8.2 tons of cocaine, valued at over $138 million USD. Many of these shipments were directly or indirectly linked to air routes originating in Venezuela, and their interception dealt a significant financial blow to criminal networks protected by institutional actors.
Based on my naval intelligence experience, such losses trigger panic, retaliation, and violent restructuring. The sudden crash of Citation YV-3217, carrying passengers tied to Venezuela’s air defense apparatus, cannot be divorced from the timing of these record-setting seizures. When the cocaine doesn’t arrive, allegiances fracture—and silence becomes fatal.
Russian-Style Deaths: A Pattern Repeating
The so-called “accidental deaths” of politically connected figures are not exclusive to Chavismo. We’ve seen them in Russia: oligarchs falling from balconies, generals dying in unexplained helicopter crashes, scientists poisoned with no one held accountable. In Venezuela, jets fall from the sky, radars “fail,” and the families of generals die without a single technical report released.
Both regimes share a formula: accidents as plausible deniability, judicial silence, and total media control. These “accidents” happen during internal purges, political infighting, or major financial losses, like the $138 million in cocaine lost in May.
Death ceases to be accidental when the pattern repeats with surgical precision and institutional silence. When internal pacts collapse, the skies become a discreet execution ground.
Conclusion
The crashes of Learjet YV-3191 and Citation YV-3217 are not just aviation tragedies. They are murky reflections of a Venezuela where powerful flights end in disaster, and official silence smothers truth. It is not far-fetched to believe that behind every crash lies a coded message: loyalty doesn’t fly alone, and betrayal never lands safely.
References
Associated Press. (2025, June 5). Venezuelan authorities confirm wreckage of missing private jet. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-jet-crash-2025
El Nacional. (2025, June 4). Wreckage of Citation YV3217 found off La Guaira coast. https://www.elnacional.com/venezuela/hallan-restos-avion-citation-2025/
New York Post. (2025, May 5). Migrants from Honduras charged with South Carolina murder. https://nypost.com/2025/05/05/migrants-arrested-in-sc-murder-of-larisha-thompson/
InSight Crime. (2023). Cartel of the Suns. https://insightcrime.org/venezuela-organized-crime/cartel-of-the-sun/
Tochterman, S., & Romero, J. (2024). Final Flight: Queen of Air. Bravo Zulu Publishing. https://finalflightqueenofair.com/
U.S. Southern Command. (2025, May). Drug Interdiction Report – May 2025 Operations Summary. https://www.southcom.mil/drug-interdiction-2025/
BBC News Mundo. (2017, August 20). Venezuelan aircraft crashes into the sea after takeoff. https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-40995410
Infobae. (2025, June 6). Diosdado Cabello accuses DEA of false flag plot against Venezuelan officer. https://www.infobae.com/venezuela/2025/06/06/diosdado-cabello-agente-dea/
CNN en Español. (2024, December 12). Who is Debra Lynn Mercer-Erwin and why is the U.S. charging her with aerial drug trafficking? https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2024/12/12/debra-lynn-mercer-erwin/
Reuters. (2025, May 30). U.S. Navy seizes 8.2 tons of cocaine in Caribbean operations. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/us-navy-cocaine-seizure-caribbean-2025-05-30/
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Miami Strategic Intelligence Institute (MSI²).