U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has issued a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. Bondi announced the reward, which doubled from an existing $25 million for Maduro's capture on Thursday, who has been sitting as Venezuela's president despite global belief he lost the country's 2024 presidential election to opposition candidate Edmundo González.
“Maduro uses foreign terrorist organizations like TDA Sinaloa and the Cartel of the Suns to bring deadly drugs and violence into our country,” Bondi said. "To date, the DEA [Drug Enforcement Agency] has seized 30 tons of cocaine linked to Maduro and his associates, with nearly seven tons linked to Maduro himself, which represents a primary source of income based in Venezuela and Mexico."
Bondi also referred to the deadly drugs' connection to fentanyl in her statement regarding Maduro's capture, which has killed millions of Americans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 50,000 people died of overdoses largely related to fentanyl in 2024.
"Cocaine is often laced with fentanyl, resulting in the loss and destruction of countless American lives. The DOJ [Department of Justice] has seized over 700 million dollars of Maduro-linked assets, including two private jets, nine vehicles, and more, yet Maduro's reign of terror continues," Bondi continued. "He is one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world and a threat to our national security."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio applauded Bondi's move on social media, calling Maduro “the head of the vicious Cartel de los Soles, a narco-terror organization which has taken over Venezuela,” adding that he “MUST be brought to justice.”
Florida Republican Sen. Ashley Moody, who replaced Bondi as the state's attorney general before becoming a U.S. Senator, also praised the announcement.
"America will not stand by while Maduro tries to flood our country with drugs & terrorize the people of #Venezeula," Moody said. "This $50 million reward makes clear that this administration will hold this thug accountable."
