The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) announced  Wednesday that it fined Copa Airlines  $450,000 for 'illegally' transporting passengers between the United States and Venezuela through a stopover point.

The agency said that Copa was ordered to cease and desist from future similar violations.

“Copa's economic license authority to operate flights to and from the United States is conditioned on the carrier not transporting passengers or cargo to or from any airport in Venezuela. Under a DOT Order, which went into effect on May 15, 2019, U.S. and foreign airlines are prohibited from transporting passengers between the United States and Venezuela.

The Department issued the order due to conditions that threaten the safety of passengers, planes, and crew traveling to or from Venezuela, ” says the  DOT.

An investigation by the DOT Aviation Consumer Protection Office found that for nearly a month after the 2019 DOT order was issued, Copa sold more than 5,000 tickets for air travel between the United States and Venezuela and transported more than 15,000 passengers on these flights.

"By transporting passengers between the United States and Venezuela, Copa violated the conditions of its authority to operate and participated in passenger operations to and from the United States without proper authorization from DOT,"