$50 million for Maduro: US announces record reward for arrest of Venezuelan leader

The United States has doubled the reward for the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to a record $50 million, accusing him of large-scale drug trafficking and ties to terrorist groups. This is the largest such offer by the US for a sitting head of state. This was reported by the BBC, writes UNN.

Details

Washington and Caracas are once again on the brink of a diplomatic crisis. On Thursday, the Donald Trump administration took an unprecedented step – announcing a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. US Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that the head of the Bolivarian Republic is not just a dictator, but one of the "most dangerous drug traffickers in the world."

Bondi emphasized that Maduro is directly linked to the smuggling of dozens of tons of cocaine, including in cooperation with entities such as the Mexican cartel Sinaloa and the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which the Trump administration has officially classified as a terrorist organization. She claimed that the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) "seized 30 tons of cocaine linked to Maduro and his associates, of which almost seven tons are linked to Maduro himself."

Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, rejects all accusations, calling them politically motivated. His foreign minister, Yván Gil, has already reacted, calling the US statement a "pathetic provocation" and an attempt to distract attention from internal scandals in America itself.

Maduro called the US Secretary of State an "idiot"28.03.25, 04:41 • 14978 views

The US accuses the Venezuelan leader not only of narco-terrorism, but also of systematic repression, election rigging, and crackdown on the opposition. After the scandalous elections earlier this year, which caused international outrage, the US and EU imposed new sanctions against the Maduro regime.

However, the arrest of his former ally, intelligence officer Hugo Carvajal, in Madrid and his subsequent plea of guilty in the US became a key turning point. Carvajal, known by the alias El Pollo, allegedly made a deal with American justice and provided critical data that could form the basis for international prosecution of Maduro.

The American administration has not yet disclosed how it hopes to carry out the arrest of a sitting head of state. But the record reward amount indicates the seriousness of Washington's intentions and the deepening confrontation between the two countries.

Recall

Former head of Venezuelan military intelligence Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and illegal possession of weapons in the US. According to the investigation, he organized cocaine supplies, acting within the Venezuelan state structure.