Trump doubles reward to $50 million for arrest of Venezuela's president to face US drug charges

Source: Associated Press

Trump doubles reward to $50 million for arrest of Venezuela’s president to face US drug charges

By JOSHUA GOODMAN
Updated 7:36 PM EDT, August 7, 2025

MIAMI (AP) — The Trump administration is doubling to $50 million a reward for the arrest of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro, accusing him of being one of the world’s largest narco-traffickers and working with cartels to flood the U.S. with fentanyl-laced cocaine.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, Maduro will not escape justice and he will be held accountable for his despicable crimes,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said Thursday in a video announcing the reward.

Maduro was indicted in Manhattan federal court in 2020, during the first Trump presidency, along with several close allies on federal charges of narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine. At the time, the U.S. offered a $15 million reward for his arrest. That was later raised by the Biden administration to $25 million — the same amount the U.S. offered for the capture of Osama bin Laden following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Despite the big bounty, Maduro remains entrenched after defying the U.S., the European Union and several Latin American governments who condemned his 2024 reelection as a sham and recognized his opponent as Venezuela’s duly elected president.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-fbi-bondi-justice-department-0e618369ca68b79b1a2143a95955344a