US Doubles Reward for Capture of Venezuela's President

The United States has doubled its reward for information leading to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, raising it to $50 million as part of its continued efforts to bring him to justice over international drug trafficking and corruption charges.

Announced jointly on Thursday by the US Department of Justice and the State Department, the new reward comes amid heightened accusations that Maduro played a key role in a long-running drug cartel operation that allegedly trafficked hundreds of tons of narcotics into the United States over the past two decades.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed the increase via a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the federal government is intensifying its pursuit of Maduro, who federal prosecutors in New York want. The reward was previously raised in January from $15 million to $25 million before being doubled again this week.

Maduro is accused of operating a vast transnational drug trafficking network in collaboration with various criminal groups. 

The US government alleges that the cartel worked closely with Colombia’s Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), which is designated a terrorist organization by Washington. Authorities also believe Maduro had ties with Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and Mexico's Sinaloa cartel.

The charges date back to 2020, during the final year of Donald Trump's presidency, when US prosecutors first filed a sweeping indictment against Maduro. The Justice Department claims that the cartel under his control generated hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit revenue from drug shipments directed toward the US market.

The latest escalation comes just days after criticism from the Biden administration over Maduro’s re-election and swearing-in earlier this year, which the White House labelled as illegitimate and fraudulent. In response, Washington imposed additional sanctions on Caracas and raised the bounty on Maduro's head.

Venezuela's government has denounced the US move as absurd and politically motivated. Foreign Minister Yván Gil called the reward announcement pathetic and ridiculous, stating that it reflects Washington’s desperation rather than a genuine legal pursuit.