US Doubles Reward for Maduro’s Arrest to $50M, Accusing Him of Narco-Trafficking

The United States has doubled its reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to $50 million, accusing him of being one of the world’s most prolific narco-traffickers and collaborating with powerful drug cartels.

The announcement, made Thursday by US Attorney General Pam Bondi, marks a sharp escalation from the $25 million bounty set earlier this year. Bondi alleged Maduro works closely with Venezuelan criminal networks such as Tren de Aragua and Cartel of the Suns, as well as Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, to flood the US with fentanyl-laced cocaine.

“He is one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world and a threat to our national security,” Bondi said in a video statement. “Therefore, we doubled his reward to $50 million.” She added that US authorities have already seized more than $700 million in assets linked to Maduro, including private jets, vehicles, and tonnes of cocaine allegedly traced to him.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil dismissed the move as “the most ridiculous smokescreen ever seen,” claiming it was meant to distract from domestic controversies in the US, including the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. “The dignity of our homeland is not for sale. We reject this crude political propaganda operation,” Gil said.

Maduro was first indicted in 2020 on federal drug charges during Donald Trump’s presidency, with an initial $15 million reward later raised to $25 million by the Biden administration — matching the bounty once offered for Osama bin Laden.

The latest US action comes weeks after former Venezuelan military intelligence chief Hugo Carvajal pleaded guilty to narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges in the US, admitting involvement in a conspiracy to import cocaine and weapons.

Despite years of international pressure and contested elections, Maduro remains in power, winning re-election in 2024 in a vote widely dismissed as illegitimate by Washington, the EU, and several Latin American governments.