The Trump administration has announced a $50 million reward for the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, the President of Venezuela. This marks a significant increase from the previous $25 million offered by the Biden administration. The U.S. government accuses Maduro of being one of the world's largest drug traffickers, claiming he collaborates with cartels to distribute fentanyl-laced cocaine in the United States.

Attorney General Pam Bondi made the announcement in a video on Thursday, stating, "Under President Trump’s leadership, Maduro will not escape justice and he will be held accountable for his despicable crimes." Maduro was indicted in 2020 in a Manhattan federal court on charges of narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine, alongside several associates. Initially, the U.S. had offered a $15 million reward for his capture.

Despite the substantial bounty, Maduro remains in power, having defied condemnation from the U.S., the European Union, and various Latin American nations regarding his 2024 reelection, which they labeled a sham. These countries have recognized his opponent as the legitimate president of Venezuela.

In a recent development, the Trump administration facilitated the release of 10 Americans detained in Caracas. This was part of a deal that also involved the return of numerous migrants deported by the U.S. to El Salvador during the previous administration's immigration policies. Following this, the White House allowed U.S. oil company Chevron to resume operations in Venezuela, reversing earlier sanctions that had blocked such activities.

Bondi also highlighted that the Justice Department has seized over $700 million in assets linked to Maduro, including two private jets. Additionally, nearly seven tons of cocaine have been traced back to him.

In response to the reward announcement, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil criticized the move, calling it "pathetic" and accusing Bondi of engaging in a "crude political propaganda operation." He remarked, "We’re not surprised, coming from whom it comes from. The same one who promised a nonexistent ‘secret list’ of Epstein and who wallows in scandals for political favors. Her show is a joke, a desperate distraction from her own misery."