Attorney General Pam Bondi made a significant announcement Thursday, announcing that the United States has raised its reward to $50 million for any information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. This increase from the earlier $25 million was made official by the U.S. Department of Justice and the State Department, as part of ongoing efforts to crack down on international drug trafficking and violence.
U.S. Offers Record Reward for Maduro’s Arrest
According to the announcement, U.S. officials accuse Maduro of helping violent drug cartels and criminal gangs, and of running a corrupt and repressive regime in Venezuela. Bondi stated that Maduro uses foreign terrorist groups like Tren de Aragua (TdA), the Sinaloa Cartel, and the Cartel of the Suns to carry out illegal activities, including smuggling deadly drugs into the United States.
“Maduro poses a major threat to our national security and ranks as one of the world’s biggest narco-traffickers,” Bondi said in a public video message.
The Cartel of the Suns, also called Cartel de Los Soles, operates as a criminal drug-trafficking group, and U.S. federal authorities believe it includes high-ranking Venezuelan military and government officials. They have long connected Maduro and his close allies to this organization.
In March 2020, federal prosecutors charged Maduro with several serious crimes, including conspiring to import cocaine, committing narco-terrorism, possessing machine guns, and conspiring to use destructive devices.
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DEA Links Maduro to Massive Cocaine Trafficking
Attorney General Bondi revealed that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has already connected 30 tons of seized cocaine to Maduro and his network. The revenue from this cocaine trade reportedly funds major drug cartels based in Mexico and Venezuela.
Bondi warned that these drugs, often laced with deadly fentanyl, have been responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans. She emphasized that the illegal drug trade connected to Maduro not only threatens the lives of U.S. citizens but also supports terrorist and violent groups who pose a danger across international borders.
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The U.S. government says Maduro works closely with criminal cartels, including the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most powerful drug trafficking groups in the world. He is also allegedly associated with Tren de Aragua, a violent gang that has spread its influence across several Latin American countries.
U.S. officials claim that Maduro’s actions go beyond drug trafficking. They allege he has been using Venezuelan institutions to support criminal organizations and has allowed those groups to train armed militias, further destabilizing the region.
Maduro Accused of Working with Terrorist Groups and Smuggling Arms
The State Department also accuses Maduro of partnering with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a designated foreign terrorist organization. The U.S. says Maduro coordinated multi-ton shipments of cocaine made by FARC and even helped supply the group with military-grade weapons through the Cartel of the Suns.
He also allegedly worked with drug traffickers in Honduras and other countries to move massive amounts of cocaine into international markets, including the U.S. and Europe.
Furthermore, the government claims Maduro encouraged the formation of an illegal armed militia, which operated like a private army for the Cartel of the Suns, offering them protection in exchange for loyalty and control.
The U.S. Department of Justice has already seized more than $700 million in assets connected to Nicolás Maduro. These assets include two private jets and nine luxury cars, which officials say were bought with money made from illegal drug trafficking.
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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also spoken out against Maduro. He said Maduro is not the rightful president of Venezuela, pointing to the disputed 2024 election. According to Rubio, Maduro leads a narco-terrorist regime that is responsible for smuggling drugs into the United States and Europe.
Rubio also said that Maduro’s government has taken over Venezuela’s public institutions and is using them to support criminal activities. He added that the United States continues to back efforts to bring law and justice back to Venezuela.
This is not the first time the U.S. has offered a reward for capturing Maduro. At the beginning of the year, the State Department offered $25 million. But now, with more evidence and growing concern, the reward has doubled to $50 million—the highest ever offered for him.