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Trump admin doubles bounty on Venezuela president to $50 million: Why does US want his arrest?
The US set a $50 million reward for the arrest of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, denouncing him as one of the world’s largest drug traffickers.
The Donald Trump-led United States administration on Thursday announced its decision to raise its reward bounty for the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to $50 million, citing his alleged role in drug trafficking and ties to international cartels.
The announcement made by US Attorney General Pam Bondi reiterated the Trump administration's renewed push to bring Maduro to justice.
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The renewed reward by the state department and justice department is $25 million more than the existing pool for information on Maduro.
What did US say about Nicolas Maduro's bounty
Attorney General Pam Bondi made the announcement in a video posted on X, accusing the Venezuelan president of using allied "terrorist" groups to traffic illicit drugs into the US, including the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl.
"Maduro uses foreign terrorist organizations like TdA (Tren de Aragua), Sinaloa and Cartel of the Suns (Cartel de Soles) to bring deadly violence to our country," Bondi said, adding, "He is one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world and a threat to our national security."
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Bondi described the Venezuelan leader as a threat to US national security and noted that US authorities have seized more than 30 tons of cocaine and over $700 million in assets, including private jets and vehicles, linked to him.
"He will be held accountable for his despicable crimes," she said.
Why US wants Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro arrested?
The United States denounced Nicolás Maduro as one of the world's largest drug traffickers shortly after Washington restored a key oil license that could strengthen the embattled socialist leader.
Maduro was first indicted by a US federal court in Manhattan in 2020, during Donald Trump's presidency. Alongside close allies, he faces charges of narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine.
Initially, the US offered a $15 million reward for his capture. That amount was later raised to $25 million during the Biden administration — the same figure once offered for Osama bin Laden.
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Despite growing international condemnation and repeated calls for his removal, Maduro has held onto power. His 2024 reelection was widely denounced as illegitimate by the US, European Union, and several Latin American nations, who instead recognised the opposition candidate as Venezuela's rightful leader.
According to Bondi, the US Justice Department has seized more than $700 million in assets linked to Maduro, including private jets. Authorities also claim that up to 7 million tons of cocaine intercepted in global drug busts can be traced back to networks connected to the Venezuelan president.
