The Trump administration has announced a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a sitting head of state accused by U.S. authorities of running an international drug trafficking operation.
Attorney General Pam Bondi made the announcement Thursday, stating that Maduro has been conspiring with multiple gangs and foreign terrorist organizations to traffic guns and illegal drugs into the United States.
“Maduro uses foreign terrorist organizations like [Tren de Aragua], Sinaloa and Cartel of the Suns to bring deadly drugs and violence into our country,” Bondi said during a press conference.
Bondi said the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has seized 30 tons of cocaine connected to Maduro and his associates.
Nearly seven tons of that amount, she said, have been directly tied to Maduro himself.
The drug trade is a primary source of funding for gangs operating in Venezuela and Mexico, according to Bondi.
She warned that the illicit drugs entering the United States from these networks are often mixed with dangerous additives.
“Cocaine is often laced with fentanyl, resulting in the loss and destruction of countless American lives,” Bondi said.
Maduro, 62, has been facing U.S. criminal charges since March 2020.
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