DOJ Seeking Permanent Ownership Of 2012 Gulfstream G550
Federal investigators seized a Chinese-registered private jet after discovering the aircraft allegedly made an unauthorized six-day trip to Iran, violating strict U.S. sanctions and export regulations.
According to court documents, the Department of Justice filed a federal forfeiture complaint on October 28 seeking permanent ownership of a 2012 Gulfstream G550 aircraft registered to Deer Jet (Beijing) Co., Ltd., after the FBI seized the plane in Anchorage, Alaska.
The nine-page complaint alleges the American-manufactured aircraft departed Beijing, China, on December 13, 2024, and traveled to Tehran, Iran, where it remained until December 19.
Federal prosecutors claim the trip violated U.S. export restrictions because the aircraft entered Iran without the required authorization and remained there longer than permitted under regulations governing certain temporary visits.
Under applicable sanctions rules, qualifying aircraft may be permitted to visit Iran temporarily, subject to strict conditions, including a maximum stay of 72 hours.
However, investigators allege the Gulfstream remained in Tehran for approximately six days – twice that limit. The complaint states: “OFAC did not issue a license allowing the defendant aircraft to remain in Iran for over 72 hours.”
Authorities further allege the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security never authorized the aircraft’s reexport from China to Iran. The aircraft eventually landed in Anchorage, Alaska, on May 24, 2026, where federal law enforcement officers seized it under a federal warrant.
According to the complaint, the jet was subsequently placed in FBI custody in Virginia while prosecutors pursued forfeiture proceedings in California. The aircraft was manufactured in the United States making it subject to American export-control regulations despite its registration to a Chinese company.
Federal officials argue those restrictions apply even when American-made aircraft are transferred between foreign countries. The government alleges the aircraft’s unauthorized journey to Iran makes it eligible for permanent forfeiture under federal law.
File photo credit Aktug Ates / Wikimedia Commons
FMI: www.justice.gov
