US Increases Bounty on Venezuelan President Maduro to $50 Million

In a significant escalation of diplomatic tensions, the US has raised the reward for information that could lead to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from $25 million to $50 million, as he is accused of being one of the world's largest narco-traffickers.

The Biden administration has publicly condemned Nicolás Maduro, the embattled president of Venezuela, by increasing the reward for information on his arrest to $50 million. Previously set at $25 million, this move highlights accusations against Maduro as one of the world's most significant drug traffickers.

US Attorney General, Pam Bondi, made this announcement citing Maduro’s alleged connections to extensive drug trafficking networks, particularly his supposed collaboration with the Colombian Farc guerrilla group to flood the United States with cocaine.

This reward and the claims of narco-terrorism come amid escalating animosity between the US and the Maduro regime, which has faced international criticism for its human rights violations and contested elections. Venezuelan authorities dismissed the increased bounty as political propaganda, with Foreign Minister Yvan Gil labeling it a "desperate distraction" amidst other issues in the US.

The previously long-tenured regime under Maduro has purportedly suppressed dissent and maintained power despite significant political unrest. The announcement follows a series of drug trafficking charges against Hugo Carvajal, a former military intelligence chief who, after fleeing, pleaded guilty in the US, igniting speculation about potential deals with authorities to assist in prosecuting Maduro.

Both the UK and EU have also imposed sanctions on Maduro’s administration, further isolating the regime amidst growing international condemnation.