Aug. 7 (UPI) -- The United States on Thursday doubled its bounty for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to $50 million, ramping up pressure on the authoritarian leader that began during the first Trump administration.
The U.S. Departments of State and Justice announced the increased reward, stating that the fortune will go to anyone with information that leads to the arrest and/or conviction of Maduro.
Today, @TheJusticeDept and @StateDept are announcing a $50 MILLION REWARD for information leading to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro. pic.twitter.com/D8LNqjS9yk— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) August 7, 2025
In a recorded statement, Attorney General Pam Bondi said it was an "historic" reward, accusing Maduro of using drug cartels that the Trump administration has designated as foreign terrorists to smuggle narcotics -- and violence -- into the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration has seized 30 tons of cocaine that Bondi said is connected to Maduro and his associates and nearly 7 tons linked directly to the Venezuelan president, Bondi said, adding that her Justice Department has confiscated some $700 million of Maduro-linked assets, including two private jets.
