US Doubles Reward to $50 Million for Nicolás Maduro's Arrest

The US government has doubled its bounty for Nicolás Maduro, claiming he is one of the world's leading narco-traffickers connected to violent criminal organizations.

The United States has raised the reward for information leading to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to an unprecedented $50 million (£37.2 million). US officials accuse Maduro of being one of the world’s most significant narco-traffickers. This bold move amplifies long-standing tensions between Washington and Caracas, with the backdrop of Maduro's controversial reelection marred by accusations of vote manipulation, not received favorably by the international community.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi declared the increase from a previous reward of $25 million, underscoring claims that Maduro is directly entwined with extensive drug trafficking operations. Following these developments, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil dismissed the announcement as mere "political propaganda," attributing it to the distraction tactics of an administration reeling from backlash related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.

During President Trump's tenure, Maduro faced serious accusations, including charges of narco-terrorism, corruption, and drug trafficking. The US Department of Justice has previously stated that Maduro cooperated with the Colombian rebel group Farc, allegedly using cocaine to inundate American streets. In a recent statement on social media, Bondi claimed Maduro was linked to dangerous organizations like Tren de Aragua—a violent Venezuelan gang banned by the Trump administration—and the notorious Sinaloa Cartel of Mexico. She noted that DEA operations have resulted in the seizure of approximately 30 tons of cocaine tied to Maduro's regime, with nearly seven tons directly associated with him.

Maduro has consistently refuted these allegations of drug dealings and maintains his grip on power despite facing ongoing protests and international sanctions, as seen from the UK and EU following his controversial election earlier in the year. In June, former military intelligence chief Hugo Carvajal was sentenced in Spain for drug trafficking, having shifted to a guilty plea, raising suspicions that he may have provided US authorities with information against Maduro in return for a lenient sentence.

The fading political relationship between Maduro's government and the United States appears to have entered a new phase, but how the US plans to utilize this escalated monetary appeal remains uncertain.