Trump Doubles Bounty on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro
Donald Trump has announced a $50 million bounty for the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, accusing him of driving dr*g trafficking and te**orism that bring “d**dly vi*lence” to the United States. The figure is the largest reward the US has ever offered for a foreign leader.
Attorney General Pam Bondi made the announcement on Thursday, August 7. The move doubles the previous $25 million reward set under Joe Biden’s administration.
Accusations of Global Dr*g Operations
Bondi said Maduro, in power since 2013, is “at the centre of an international cocaine network” linked to vi*lent cartels such as Tren de Aragua, Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, and Venezuela’s Cartel of the Suns.
“Maduro uses foreign te**orist organisations to bring d**dly dr*gs and vi*lence into our country,” Bondi stated in a video message. She revealed that US agents have seized 30 tons of c*caine tied to Maduro and his associates — nearly seven tons connected to Maduro personally.
D**dly Fentanyl Connection
Bondi added that much of the c*caine from Maduro’s network is “often laced with fentanyl,” a synthetic opioid blamed for tens of thousands of US d**ths each year.
US authorities have seized over $700 million in assets linked to Maduro, including two private jets and nine vehicles. “He is one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world and a thr**t to our national security,” Bondi said.
Long-Standing Charges
Maduro was first indicted in March 2020 on federal charges in New York, including narco-te**orism, conspiracy to import c*caine, and possession of machine g*ns and destructive devices. At that time, Trump’s administration offered a $15 million reward. The amount later rose to $25 million under Biden, and Trump has now doubled it again.
Political Turmoil in Venezuela
Maduro’s presidency has been marred by allegations of election fraud, human rights ab*ses, and corruption. His 2018 re-election was rejected by Venezuela’s opposition, which declared opposition leader Juan Guaidó the rightful president.
Trump recognized Guaidó in 2020 and hosted him at the White House. In the disputed 2024 election, authorities again declared Maduro the winner, but opposition groups claimed former diplomat Edmundo González had actually won with double the votes. Both González and Guaidó later fled Venezuela after Maduro ordered their a**ests.
US Position and Call for Information
“Maduro is not the President of Venezuela,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last month. “His regime is not the legitimate government.”
The US is urging anyone with credible information on Maduro’s location to call 1-202-307-4228 or submit tips online.