The U.S. government recently doubled the reward for information that leads to Nicolás Maduro’s arrest to $15 million. Their new round has now gone up to an eye-popping $50 million. Previous indictment Maduro was indicted in March of 2020 by a federal court in Manhattan. His charges were narcoterrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine. The uptick underscores escalating concerns over Maduro’s alleged involvement in narcotrafficking. It pushes back on narcotics’ profound and damaging effect on the United States.
As with the 2020 U.S. reward for his capture, which started at $15 million. During the Trump administration, they raised this cap tremendously to $50 million. This is a big move that highlights their commitment to thrust him into accountability for his criminal activity. The Biden administration reduced the bounty to $25 million for information leading to Maduro’s arrest. This sum is equal to the reward that the US government offered for Osama bin Laden back in 2001.
Maduro is accused of serious crimes, including that he is one of the world’s biggest narcotraffickers. Authorities say he worked with Mexican drug cartels to inundate the U.S. market with cocaine laced with the synthetic opioid fentanyl. So far, the U.S. Justice Department has seized more than $700 million in assets connected to Maduro, which has included two private jets. They have followed nearly 7 million tons of seized cocaine directly back to him and predecessor cartels.
Yet even with these criminal charges and great financial motivation for his arrest, Maduro is still firmly in control of Venezuela. In response, the U.S., the European Union, and multiple Latin American governments have repeatedly condemned his regime. They focused most of their fire on his 2024 reelection campaign, denouncing it as a fraud. By contrast, these governments have accepted his opponent as the legitimate president that the Venezuelan people elected.
Political maneuvering between the U.S. and Venezuela escalated when the Trump administration finalized a historic prison swap. That arrangement resulted in the release of ten Americans imprisoned in Caracas. In return, Venezuela accepted dozens of migrants previously deported by the United States to El Salvador.
The storm clouds are gathering on Nicolás Maduro, as the pressures increase on his regime from the international community. The raised bounty is the latest example of U.S. policy in action. It advances a broader regional effort to combat transnational drug trafficking and violent crime and re-establish democratic rule in Venezuela.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, Maduro will not escape justice and he will be held accountable for his despicable crimes,” – Pam Bondi