The United States has doubled its bounty on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, offering a staggering $50 million for information leading to his arrest.
US officials accuse him of being “one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi made the announcement Thursday, August 7, increasing the reward from $25 million.
She claimed Maduro plays a direct role in massive drug smuggling operations.
According to Bondi, the DEA has seized 30 tons of cocaine linked to Maduro and his allies with nearly seven tons allegedly tied to him personally.
The Trump administration has long targeted Maduro. Former President Donald Trump branded him a dictator after Venezuela’s 2024 election, which global leaders widely condemned as fraudulent.
Caribbean Cocaine Pipeline
Bondi accused Maduro of working with Tren de Aragua, a powerful Venezuelan gang, and Mexico’s notorious Sinaloa Cartel.
She said these groups used cocaine as a “weapon” to flood the United States.
US prosecutors first charged Maduro in 2020 with narco-terrorism, corruption, and drug trafficking. They also claimed he partnered with Colombia’s FARC rebels to move tons of cocaine across the Caribbean.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil hit back, calling the US reward “pathetic” and pure “political propaganda.”
He accused Washington of trying to distract the public from scandals at home, including the fallout over the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Maduro’s Grip on Power
Maduro, who took over from Hugo Chávez in 2013, has faced years of protests, sanctions, and accusations of silencing dissent. Despite this, he remains firmly in control.
His government crushed demonstrations after last year’s disputed vote, and security forces have been accused of using violence against opposition figures.
Tensions escalated in June when Hugo Carvajal, Venezuela’s former intelligence chief, was convicted in the US on drug charges.
Known as El Pollo (“The Chicken”), Carvajal had fled to Spain after urging the army to overthrow Maduro.
He later changed his plea to guilty, sparking speculation that he cut a deal to provide incriminating evidence against his former boss.
Global Pressure Builds
The US isn’t alone in its crackdown. Both the UK and EU slapped sanctions on Maduro’s government earlier this year, citing human rights abuses and election fraud.
Still, Washington’s $50 million reward raises the stakes in an already high-risk political and criminal standoff.
While Maduro dismisses the accusations as lies, the bounty signals that the US is prepared to hunt him beyond Venezuela’s borders.
“We will not stop until Nicolás Maduro faces justice,” Bondi declared.