The Trump administration has doubled the bounty on Venezuelan leader Nicols Maduro, offering $50 million for information leading to his arrest on drug trafficking charges.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, in a video posted Thursday on X, accused Maduro of working hand-in-hand with violent criminal organizations to smuggle narcotics into the United States.
“Maduro uses foreign terrorist organizations like (Tren de Aragua), Sinaloa and Cartel of the Suns to bring deadly drugs and violence into our country,” Bondi said. “He is one of the largest narcotraffickers in the world and a threat to our national security.”
Bondi said the Drug Enforcement Administration has seized more than 30 tons of cocaine tied to Maduro and his associates, including nearly 7 tons linked directly to the Venezuelan president. Authorities have also seized more than $700 million in assets, including two private jets and nine vehicles.
According to Bondi, the cocaine shipments often arrive laced with fentanyl, fueling the opioid crisis in the United States. “This represents a primary source of income for the deadly cartels based in Venezuela and Mexico,” she said. “The destruction of countless American lives is the direct result.”
The US had previously offered a $25 million reward for Maduro’s capture, according to the State Department. Bondi said the increase to $50 million reflects the administration’s determination to bring him to justice.
“Under President Trump’s leadership Maduro will not escape justice,” Bondi said.
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With inputs from agencies