Increased bounty for capture of Venezuelan President Maduro now stands at $50 million USD.
The United States has increased the reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, from $25 million to $50 million. This announcement was made by Attorney General Pam Bondi on August 7, 2025. The escalation comes as the U.S. continues to accuse Maduro of working with drug cartels to flood the country with fentanyl-laced cocaine, a significant threat to national security [1][2][3][4][5].
The increased reward matches the amount offered for the capture of Osama bin Laden following the 11 September 2001 attacks. Maduro was indicted in Manhattan federal court in 2020 on federal charges of narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine [6]. The Justice Department has already seized more than $700 million in assets linked to Maduro.
Venezuelan foreign minister Yvan Gil has criticised the move, characterising it as a "crude political propaganda operation." Gil also implied that the U.S.'s approach to the matter is politically motivated, suggesting that Attorney General Pam Bondi is using the issue for political gain [7].
Gil's criticism comes after the Justice Department announced that a long-rumoured "client list" of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein does not exist. Gil accused Donald Trump of making promises without delivering, citing his failed promise of a "secret list" of Epstein [8].
The increased reward for Maduro's arrest was initially $15 million in 2020. Two private jets have been seized as part of the assets linked to Maduro [9]. Nearly seven tonnes of seized cocaine have been traced directly to Maduro, further fuelling the U.S.'s accusations against him [10].
The details of a potential meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin remain uncertain, as Trump has set a deadline for the encounter [11]. Trump's approach to peacemaking has been described as a choice between waging war or doing business [12].
The escalating tension between the U.S. and Venezuela continues to unfold, with both parties accusing each other of politically motivated actions and drug trafficking. The increased reward for Maduro's arrest serves as a testament to the U.S.'s determination to hold Maduro accountable for his alleged crimes.
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/world/americas/maduro-reward.html [2] https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-doubles-reward-arrest-maduro-50-million-2025-08-07/ [3] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-58228670 [4] https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/07/politics/us-increases-reward-for-maduro-arrest/index.html [5] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/us-doubles-reward-for-maduros-capture-to-50-million/2025/08/07/94063696-f9e6-11eb-b257-f91712407a54_story.html [6] https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-indictment-venezuelan-president-nicolas-maduro-charges-narco-terrorism [7] https://www.reuters.com/world/us/venezuelan-foreign-minister-criticizes-us-reward-maduro-arrest-2025-08-09/ [8] https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/10/politics/gil-trump-epstein/index.html [9] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-11/two-private-jets-seized-as-part-of-assets-linked-to-maduro [10] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/nearly-seven-tonnes-of-cocaine-traced-to-maduro/2025/08/12/f46d5b68-f9e9-11eb-a3a2-95169d392672_story.html [11] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-putin-meeting-uncertain-deadline-placed-encounter-n1276716 [12] https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/08/14/trump-peacemaking-choices-between-war-business/
The heightened reward for Maduro's capture resembles the amount offered for Osama bin Laden, signaling the U.S.'s persistent efforts in war-and-conflicts and crime-and-justice matters. The Venezuelan foreign minister Yvan Gil's criticism of the increased reward was characterized as a part of political propaganda, further demonstrating the involvement of politics in this general-news saga.
