US offers $50 million reward for arrest of Venezuelan President

The United States has announced a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest of the Venezuelan President, Nicolás Maduro, as reported by Reuters on August 8^th.

Maduro is accused by the US authorities of involvement in large-scale narcotics trafficking, including working with cartels to supply fentanyl-laced cocaine to the United States. He has previously rejected US claims of direct involvement in drug trafficking.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a video statement: “Under President Trump’s leadership, Maduro will not escape justice, and he will be held accountable for his despicable crimes.”

Maduro was first indicted in Manhattan federal court in 2020, during the first Trump presidency, along with several close allies. He was accused of narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine. At the time, the US was offering a $15 million reward for his arrest.

The Biden administration later raised this reward to $25 million, matching the amount offered for the capture of Osama Bin Laden following the September 11 attacks in 2001. The latest increase to $50 million was announced by President Trump, accusing Maduro of being “one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world.”

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil described the reward as a “desperate distraction” from headlines related to backlash over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, labelling it as “pathetic” and “political propaganda.”

In 2024, the US, Canada, the EU, Morocco and several Latin American governments rejected the results of Maduro’s re-election and recognised his opponent as Venezuela’s elected president.

The US Justice Department reports that it has seized more than $700 million in assets linked to Maduro, including two private aircraft, and has traced nearly seven tonnes of cocaine directly to him.

Reuters plus agencies, Maghrebi