AP Miami

The Trump administration is doubling to $50 million a reward for the arrest of Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro, accusing him of being one of the world's largest narco-traffickers and working with cartels to flood the US with fentanyl-laced cocaine. 

"Under President Trump's leadership, Maduro will not escape justice and he will be held accountable for his despicable crimes," Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Thursday in a video announcing the reward. 

Maduro was indicted in Manhattan federal court in 2020, during the first Trump presidency, along with several close allies on federal charges of narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine. At the time, the US offered a USD 15 million reward for his arrest. That was later raised by the Biden administration to USD 25 million - the same amount the US offered for the capture of Osama bin Laden following the September 11, 2001, attacks. 

Despite the big bounty, Maduro remains entrenched after defying US, EU and several Latin American governments who condemned his 2024 reelection as a sham and recognised his opponent as Venezuela's duly elected president. Last month, the Trump administration struck a deal to secure the release of 10 Americans jailed in Caracas in exchange for Venezuela getting home scores of migrants deported by US to El Salvador.