Trump Doubles Reward To $50 Million For Arrest Of Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro: 'Pathetic'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) The Trump administration reportedly doubled to $50 million a reward for the arrest of Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro. US Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Thursday in a video announcing the reward,“Under President Trump's leadership, Maduro will not escape justice and he will be held accountable for his despicable crimes."

Why Trump wants to arrest Maduro?

Trump accused Maduro of being one of the world's largest narco-traffickers and working with cartels to flood the US with fentanyl-laced cocaine, the Associated Press reported.

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.

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At the time, the US offered a $15 million reward for his arrest.

That was later raised by the Biden administration to $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 the US, the European Union and several Latin American governments who condemned his 2024 reelection as a sham and recognised his opponent as Venezuela's duly elected president.

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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 the United States to El Salvador under the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

Shortly after, the White House reversed course and allowed US oil producer Chevron to resume drilling in Venezuela after it was previously blocked by US sanctions.

Bondi said the Justice Department has seized more than $700 million in assets linked to Maduro, including two private jets, and said 7 million tonnes of seized cocaine had been traced directly to the leftist leader.

Maduro's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Venezuela said Thursday it was "pathetic" and "ridiculous" that the US had doubled its bounty on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to $50 million over federal drug trafficking charges.

"The pathetic 'bounty'... is the most ridiculous smokescreen we have ever seen," Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said in a statement on Telegram, hours after US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the increase.

Where is Nicolas Maduro now?

Nicolas Maduro is the President of Venezuela, a sovereign nation, and as such is likely to reside in the official presidential address.

The Venezuelan president's official address is the Miraflores Palace, which is also the head office of the President of Venezuela. It is situated on Urdaneta Avenue, Libertador Bolivarian Municipality in Caracas, the Hindustan Times reported.

However, Maduro likely has other properties to his name, which are not publicly disclosed.

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