U.S. Doubles Bounty on Nicolás Maduro to $50 Million

On August 7, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of State jointly announced a dramatic increase in the reward for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The bounty, previously set at $25 million, has now doubled to an unprecedented $50 million — the highest ever offered by the U.S. for a foreign head of state.

The announcement was delivered in a video statement by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who accused Maduro of being the leader of the Cartel de los Soles, an organization designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group.

According to Bondi, Maduro has collaborated extensively with criminal networks such as Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel to traffic narcotics into the United States. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has reportedly seized nearly seven tons of cocaine linked directly to Maduro and confiscated over $700 million in assets, including two private jets and nine vehicles.

The reward is being offered under the U.S. Narcotics Rewards Program and encourages confidential tips via phone, email, or through U.S. embassies worldwide. However, government officials are excluded from eligibility.

Born on November 23, 1962, in Caracas, Nicolás Maduro rose from humble beginnings as a bus driver and union leader to becoming a close ally of the late Hugo Chávez. He later served as foreign minister and vice president before assuming the presidency in 2013 following Chávez’s death.

Maduro’s tenure has been defined by his adherence to chavismo, but also plagued by widespread accusations of authoritarianism, economic mismanagement, and human rights violations. Venezuela’s ongoing crisis under his rule has led to hyperinflation, severe shortages, and the emigration of more than 5.6 million citizens.

The United States has not recognized Maduro’s presidency since 2019, citing fraud in both the 2018 and 2024 elections. Opposition leaders, including Edmundo González—who has since fled to Spain—have disputed the legitimacy of his leadership.

The U.S. first indicted Maduro in 2020 on charges of narco-terrorism and drug trafficking, initially offering a $15 million reward. This was raised to $25 million in January 2025 and now stands at $50 million.

Venezuela’s government, through Foreign Minister Yvan Gil, has denounced the reward as a “ridiculous smokescreen” and “crude political propaganda,” accusing the U.S. of attempting to divert attention from its own domestic controversies, such as the ongoing fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

Despite increasing international pressure, including U.S. sanctions and asset seizures, Maduro remains firmly in power, bolstered by support from allies like Russia and China.

The escalating reward offer underscores the U.S.’s intensified stance under President Donald Trump’s “America First” doctrine, but also risks further straining already fragile diplomatic relations.

While the United States views Maduro as a criminal actor driving a transnational drug trade, Venezuela sees the move as another instance of foreign interference and imperialist overreach.