U.S. boosts bounty to $50 million for intel on Maduro's capture.
In a significant development, U.S. authorities have accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of collaborating with terrorist organizations and drug trafficking groups. The accusations, which date back to Trump's first term, have been reiterated and intensified under both the Trump and Biden administrations.
Maduro, who has been in power since succeeding Hugo Chávez in 2013, has been indicted on federal charges of narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine. U.S. officials allege that Maduro has run a narco-terrorism scheme and worked closely with drug cartels such as Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel to flood the U.S. market with cocaine, often laced with the powerful opioid fentanyl.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has designated the Venezuela-based Cartel de los Soles, headed by Maduro and other regime officials, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity. This entity is accused of providing material support to foreign terrorist organizations including Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel, linking Maduro directly to narcotics trafficking and terrorism.
To underscore this, the U.S. government has raised the reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest to $50 million, highlighting his status as one of the world’s largest narco-traffickers and a threat to U.S. national security. This accusation reflects coordinated efforts by multiple agencies to hold Maduro accountable for crimes involving drug trafficking and narco-terrorism.
The international community has also expressed concerns about the legitimacy of Maduro's rule, with the elections in 2020 being marred by scandals and accusations of fraud. The United Kingdom and the EU imposed sanctions on Maduro's government, while US authorities have doubled the reward for information leading to his arrest.
Notably, Hugo Carvajal, a former Venezuelan military intelligence chief who was once one of Maduro's closest allies, pleaded guilty to several drug trafficking charges in the U.S. in June 2021. Carvajal, who headed Venezuela’s military counterintelligence from 2004 to 2011, sided against Maduro and supported opposition leader Juan Guaidó in 2019, forcing him to flee first to the Dominican Republic and then to Spain. Initially, Carvajal denied the drug charges, but later admitted guilt, sparking rumors of a deal with U.S. authorities that would involve a lighter sentence in exchange for information incriminating Maduro.
Spain extradited Carvajal to the U.S. in 2023, and in a video posted on August 7, US Attorney General Pam Bondi accused Maduro of collaborating with terrorist organizations such as Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa cartel. The ongoing developments in this complex case continue to cast a shadow over Maduro's rule and the future of Venezuela.
[1] https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-50-million-reward-information-leading-arrest-venezuelan-president [2] https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/us-officials-say-maduro-linked-to-cocaine-smuggling-ring-2021-08-07/ [3] https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/07/politics/us-rewards-50-million-maduro-arrest/index.html [4] https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/sm8112.aspx [5] https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/treasury-designates-venezuela-based-cartel-los-soles-and-venezuelan-regime-official-as-sdgt-and
- The U.S. Department of Justice has announced a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, linking him to coordinated efforts by multiple agencies for holding him accountable for crimes involving drug trafficking and narco-terrorism.
- General-news sources report that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi accused Maduro of collaborating with terrorist organizations such as Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa cartel, a statement that comes amidst ongoing developments in the complex case against the Venezuelan president.
