The United States has increased its reward for information leading to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, now offering $50 million amid persistent accusations of his involvement in drug trafficking and ties to global criminal syndicates.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the decision on Thursday, August 7, 2025, in a video message posted on X, alleging that Maduro collaborates with notorious criminal organizations, including Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang and Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel.
This development marks the third escalation of the bounty since US prosecutors first indicted Maduro on drug trafficking charges in 2020, when the reward was set at $15 million. It rose to $25 million in January 2025 as Maduro entered his third term in office, coinciding with new sanctions targeting senior Venezuelan officials.
Bondi’s announcement follows a series of US measures aimed at disrupting Venezuelan criminal networks. In February, the US State Department designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization, alongside MS-13 and several Mexican cartels. In July, it placed the Cartel de Los Soles on its global terrorist list. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has claimed that Maduro has led the Cartel de Los Soles for over a decade, overseeing drug shipments into the United States.
Venezuela’s government quickly rejected the allegations. Foreign Minister Yván Gil, in a statement posted on Telegram, called the US announcement “the most ridiculous smokescreen ever seen.”
“While we’re debunking the terrorist plots orchestrated from her country, this woman is coming out with a media circus to please the defeated far-right in Venezuela,” Gil wrote, referring to Bondi. “The dignity of our homeland is not for sale. We repudiate this crude political propaganda operation.”
The Venezuelan Ministry of Information has not yet issued any further comment.
