‘Threat to national security': Trump administration announces $50M bounty on Venezuela's Maduro; seized 30 tons of cocaine
US Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday announced that the state and justice department are offering a $50 million reward for information that would leads to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
The US Justice and State Departments allege that Maduro is involved in supporting drug cartels and violent street gangs, while leading a regime marked by corruption and repression.
'Maduro uses foreign terrorist organizations like [Tren de Aragua], Sinaloa and Cartel of the Suns to bring deadly drugs and violence into our country,' Bondi said through a video posted on X.
— AGPamBondi (@AGPamBondi)
The Drug Enforcement Administration has seized 30 tons of cocaine tied to Nicolas Maduro and his inner circle, with Bondi noting that 'nearly seven tons linked to Maduro himself, which represents a primary source of income for the deadly cartels based in Venezuela and Mexico.'
'Cocaine is often laced with fentanyl, resulting in the loss and destruction of countless American lives. The DOJ has seized over $700 million of Maduro linked assets, including two private jets, nine vehicles and more. Yet Maduro's reign of terror continues,' Bondi said through the video.
The Cartel of the Suns, a Venezuelan drug-trafficking network made up of senior government officials, has been linked to Maduro.
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Investigators allege the cartel collaborated closely with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a group designated as a terrorist organization by the United States.
Maduro was recently sworn in for a third term, despite widespread international criticism and concerns over alleged election irregularities, reports AFP.
In March 2020, Maduro was indicted in the US on multiple federal charges, including narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess such weapons, reports Fox News.
After the indictment, the Trump administration during his first term initially offered $15 million for Maduro's capture. Under former President Joe Biden, the State Department increased the bounty to $25 million on January 10, reports the New York Post.
The amount was doubled to $50 million on Thursday under the Trump administration.
"Maduro is not the President of Venezuela and his regime is not the legitimate government,' US secretary of state Marco Rubio said last month, reports Fox News.
"One year since dictator Nicolás Maduro defied the will of the Venezuelan people by baselessly declaring himself the winner, the United States remains firm in its unwavering support to Venezuela's restoration of democratic order and justice," he said.
'Under President Trump's leadership, Maduro will not escape justice, and he will be held accountable for his despicable crimes,' Bondi said through the video, adding that 'he is one of the largest narco traffickers in the world, and a threat to our national security.'
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