CARACAS - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday accused his Dominican counterpart Luis Abinader of being a "thief" and "bandit", after the seizure of his plane in the Dominican Republic.

Speaking at an event broadcast by the state-run television channel, Maduro claimed that Abinader, with the cooperation of local officials, facilitated United States authorities in seizing the aircraft.

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Maduro warned that the Dominican people would eventually hold Abinader accountable.

The plane, a Dassault Falcon 900EX, was impounded by the US Department of Justice earlier this month for violating US sanctions against Venezuela and flown to Florida.

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Maduro said that Venezuela reserves its right to take legal action to address the situation and reiterated his opposition to US sanctions.