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<a class="gmail-domain gmail-reader-domain" href="https://peoplesdispatch.org/2025/08/08/us-increases-bounty-on-venezuelan-president-nicolas-maduro-to-50-million/">peoplesdispatch.org</a>
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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">US increases bounty on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to 50 million</h1>
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<a href="https://peoplesdispatch.org/2025/08/08/us-increases-bounty-on-venezuelan-president-nicolas-maduro-to-50-million/">August 08, 2025</a> by <a href="https://peoplesdispatch.org/2025/08/08/us-increases-bounty-on-venezuelan-president-nicolas-maduro-to-50-million/"></a><a href="https://peoplesdispatch.org/author/pablo-meriguet/">Pablo Meriguet</a>
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<img src="cid:ii_me4dy7go0" alt="Nicolas-Maduro-Victory-scaled-1.jpg" width="437" height="246"><br><p><font size="1">Nicolás Maduro greets thousands of supporters outside of MIraflores Palace on July 28, 2024. Photo: Zoe Alexandra </font></p><div>
<p><a href="https://www.telesurtv.net/venezuela-ridicula-recompensa-captura-maduro/%7d">The Venezuelan government has said</a>
that the increase in the reward for the arrest of President Nicolás
Maduro by US Attorney General Pam Bondi is \u201cridiculous\u201d and that it is
part of a \u201cpropaganda operation\u201d and a \u201cdesperate distraction\u201d from the
internal problems facing the United States.</p>
<p>Bondi <a href="https://x.com/AGPamBondi/status/1953583017353466306">published a video on August 7</a>,
announcing that the US Department of Justice and Department of State
are offering USD 50 million for \u201cinformation leading to the arrest of
Nicolás Maduro\u201d.</p>
<p>This is not the first time the US government has tried to pressure the Bolivarian government in this way.<a href="https://peoplesdispatch.org/2020/03/26/venezuela-denounces-us-charges-against-maduro-as-another-coup-detat-attempt/"> In 2020</a>,
the US Department of Justice offered USD 15 million for Maduro\u2019s
arrest. The accusations were based on alleged acts of \u201cnarco-terrorism\u201d
by the Venezuelan government.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/nicol-s-maduro-moros-and-14-current-and-former-venezuelan-officials-charged-narco-terrorism">According to the US government</a>,
Maduro allegedly collaborated with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia (FARC) \u201cto use cocaine as a weapon to \u2018flood\u2019 the United
States\u201d.</p>
<p>During the Biden administration, this figure was increased to USD 25
million (the same amount offered for the capture of Osama Bin Laden
after the attacks of September 11, 2011).</p>
<p>This time, Washington is <a href="https://www.state.gov/reward-offer-increase-of-up-to-50-million-for-information-leading-to-arrest-and-or-conviction-of-nicolas-maduro">doubling the \u201cbet\u201d to USD 50 million</a>.
According to the Trump administration, Maduro is one of the world\u2019s
most prominent drug traffickers, as he allegedly works closely with the
criminal gangs the Sinaloa Cartel, the Tren de Aragua, and the Cartel de
Los Soles.<a href="https://www.bbc.com/mundo/articles/cewydr15l02o"> </a></p>
<p>\u201cUnder President Trump\u2019s leadership, Maduro will not escape justice, and he will be held accountable for his despicable crimes,\u201d<a href="https://x.com/AGPamBondi/status/1953583017353466306"> said US Attorney General Pamela Bondi</a>
in a video. Bondi accused Maduro of using Foreign Terrorist
Organizations (FTO) Tren de Aragua, Sinaloa Cartel, and the Cartel de
Los Soles to \u201cto bring deadly drugs and violence into our country\u201d.</p>
<p>For his part, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil said the
accusations are nothing more than a media show aimed at satisfying
Trump\u2019s most extremist supporters.</p>
<p>\u201cPamela Bondi\u2019s pathetic \u2018reward\u2019 is the most ridiculous smokescreen
we have ever seen. While we dismantle the terrorist plots orchestrated
from your country, this lady comes out with a media circus to please
Venezuela\u2019s defeated far right,\u201d<a href="https://www.telesurtv.net/venezuela-ridicula-recompensa-captura-maduro/"> Gil affirmed in</a> response to Bondi\u2019s statements.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.telesurtv.net/venezuela-ridicula-recompensa-captura-maduro/">According to Caracas</a>,
the accusations have no real basis and are part of a smear campaign
against the Venezuelan government, in addition to the sanctions and
economic and trade blockades imposed by the United States on Venezuela.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.telesurtv.net/venezuela-ridicula-recompensa-captura-maduro/">Maduro also reacted to Bondi\u2019s accusations</a>,
describing them as part of a \u201cfascist conspiracy\u201d to destabilize his
government: \u201cColombian drug trafficking linked to [ex-President Álvaro]
Uribe, criminal gangs and recycled criminals that still exist in the
country, and the fascist conspiracy financed by the United States, are a
disastrous equation against Venezuela.\u201d</p>
<p>The Cuban government also rejected the decision to increase the reward for Maduro\u2019s \u201chead\u201d.<a href="https://x.com/BrunoRguezP/status/1953814516476608553"> The country\u2019s Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodríguez, posted on X</a>:
\u201cWe condemn the fraudulent reward announced by the US government
against the legitimate President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, which
constitutes a new act of aggression against that sister nation. The US
government lacks the legal and moral authority to take such a measure.\u201d</p>
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