The Trump administration doubled the reward it is offering for Maduro's capture: It is now $50 million, the highest in US history
This is the largest reward ever offered by the United States for information on a terrorist or drug trafficker. Osama Bin Laden and Aiman Al-Zawahiri shared the previous record.
Maduro in Caracas/ Pedro Mattey.
The Trump administration has doubled the reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Nicolás Maduro, dictator of Venezuela. Pam Bondi, attorney general, made the announcement, remarking that the economic award increased from $25 million to $50 million.
This is the largest reward ever offered by the United States for information on a terrorist or drug trafficker. The previous record was shared by Osama Bin Laden and Aiman Al-Zawahiri, terrorists, leaders of the Al Qaeda group and architects of the September 11 attacks.
On behalf of the Department of Justice and the Department of State, Bondi communicated the news through a video posted on social media, describing Maduro as "one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world."
"One of the largest narco-traffickers in the world and a threat to our national security"
"Maduro uses foreign terrorist organizations like TDA (Tren de Aragua), Sinaloa, and Cartel of the Sons to bring deadly drugs and violence into our country. To date, the DEA has seized 30 tons of cocaine linked to Maduro and his associates with nearly seven tons linked to Maduro himself, which represents a primary source of income for the deadly cartels based in Venezuela and Mexico. Cocaine is often laced with fentanyl, resulting in the loss and destruction of countless American lives. The DOJ has seized over $700 million of Maduro-linked assets, including two private jets, nine vehicles, and more, yet Maduro's reign of terror continues," Bondi said.
The reward works through the Rewards for Justice (RFJ) and Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP) programs. Both are authorized by laws such as the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act and the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. As for the payment, it is made if the information actually leads to the arrest of the threat in question, in this case, Maduro. The informant's identity is kept strictly confidential.
"He is one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world and a threat to our national security. Therefore, we've doubled his reward to $50 million. Under President Trump's leadership, Maduro will not escape justice and he will be held accountable for his despicable crimes," the attorney general stated in the video.
Maduro's regime calls the measure "pathetic" and "ridiculous"
"Their show is a joke, a desperate distraction from their own miseries. The dignity of our homeland is not for sale. We repudiate this crude political propaganda operation," the foreign minister said. The United States and Venezuela have not had diplomatic relations since Trump's first term (2017-2021).
Rubio: "The US does not recognize him as president of Venezuela."
In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that since 2020, "Maduro has strangled democracy and clung to power. He claimed to have won the Venezuelan presidential election on July 28, 2024, but presented no evidence to support this claim," he added.
"The US does not recognize him as president of Venezuela," the secretary of state emphasized in the statement.
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