Quick Hit:

The Trump administration on Thursday doubled the bounty on Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro to $50 million, accusing him of partnering with cartels to smuggle cocaine — often laced with fentanyl — into the U.S.

Key Details:

• Bondi accused Maduro of partnering with foreign terrorist organizations like Tren de Aragua, Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, and Venezuela’s Cartel of the Suns to smuggle deadly drugs into the U.S.
• The DEA has seized 30 tons of cocaine tied to Maduro and his associates, including nearly seven tons directly linked to Maduro himself, which Bondi said is a key source of revenue for the cartels.
• The Justice Department has seized over $700 million in Maduro-linked assets — including private jets and luxury vehicles — but Bondi said his “reign of terror” continues.

Diving Deeper:

The Trump administration is escalating its pursuit of Nicolás Maduro, offering a record $50 million reward for information leading to his capture. The move doubles the $25 million bounty set by the State Department in January 2024 under former President Biden.

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the decision Thursday in a video posted to X, describing Maduro as a narco-terrorist who relies on alliances with criminal syndicates to export violence and poison into the United States. She named Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang, Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, and the Venezuela-based Cartel of the Suns as his chief partners.

According to Bondi, the Drug Enforcement Administration has seized 30 tons of cocaine tied to Maduro’s network — with nearly seven tons personally linked to him. “This represents a primary source of income for the deadly cartels based in Venezuela and Mexico,” she said, adding that much of the cocaine is laced with fentanyl, resulting in “the loss and destruction of countless American lives.”

Maduro, 62, faces a series of federal charges filed in the Southern District of New York in March 2020, including narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess such weapons.

Bondi noted that U.S. authorities have seized more than $700 million in Maduro-related assets — including two private jets and nine vehicles — but said the Venezuelan leader remains a direct threat to national security. “He is one of the largest narco traffickers in the world,” she said. “Under President Trump’s leadership, Maduro will not escape justice, and he will be held accountable for his despicable crimes.”

(AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)