The United States has raised its bounty for the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to $50 million, accusing him of collaborating with drug cartels to smuggle fentanyl-laced cocaine into the country.
The new figure is double the $25 million reward announced during Joe Biden’s presidency, which matched the amount once placed on Osama bin Laden after the 11 September 2001 attacks.
When Maduro was first charged in 2020 in Manhattan federal court with narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine, the offer stood at $15 million.
According to US officials, the Justice Department has confiscated more than $700 million in assets linked to Maduro.
These include two private aircraft, as well as shipments of nearly seven tonnes of cocaine that investigators say were directly connected to him.
The charges claim that Maduro and his allies conspired with armed groups and traffickers over many years, using Venezuela as a hub to send cocaine to the United States and other destinations.
Officials believe some of the drugs contained fentanyl, a synthetic opioid linked to tens of thousands of overdose deaths annually in the US.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the new reward reflects the determination to bring Maduro to trial.
LShe stated that efforts to locate and arrest him are ongoing and involve multiple agencies and international partners.
In response, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil dismissed the bounty as a political move, describing it as an attempt to interfere in his country’s internal affairs.
He accused US officials of running a campaign aimed at undermining Maduro’s government.
Despite international criticism, Washington has maintained sanctions and legal actions against senior Venezuelan figures, saying they are responsible for corruption, human rights abuses, and large-scale drug trafficking operations.