U.S. Accuses Venezuelan President of Leading International Drug Cartel
US Raises Bounty on Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro to $50 Million
Babushahi Bureau
New York, August 09, 2025:
The Justice Department and State Department of United States has doubled its reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, now offering a staggering $50 million under the Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP). The announcement, made on August 7, 2025, by the Attorney General Pamela Bondi,marks a dramatic escalation from the $25 million bounty set earlier this year.
Attorney General alleged that Maduro headed the "Cartel de los Soles" (Cartel of the Suns), an illicit network involving senior Venezuelan military and government figures, accused of trafficking massive quantities of cocaine into the United States for over two decades. On July 25, 2025, the U.S. Treasury designated the cartel as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity. The charges against Maduro include narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and collaboration with transnational criminal groups such as FARC, Tren de Aragua, and the Sinaloa Cartel.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), over 30 tons of cocaine have been seized in connection with Maduro and his associates—nearly seven tons directly linked to him. In addition, U.S. enforcement actions have confiscated more than $700 million in assets, including private jets and vehicles tied to the Venezuelan leader.
Maduro’s legal troubles in the U.S. are not new. He was first indicted in a New York federal court in 2020 during Donald Trump’s first presidential term, when a $15 million reward was placed on him. The current Trump administration cites these longstanding allegations as justification for increasing the bounty to unprecedented levels.
Born on November 23, 1962, in Caracas, Nicolás Maduro rose from humble beginnings as a bus driver and trade unionist to political prominence. He served as Venezuela’s Foreign Minister from 2006 to 2013 and was appointed Vice President in 2012 before assuming the presidency on April 19, 2013, following Hugo Chávez’s death. Maduro leads the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), continuing the Bolivarian Revolution launched by Chávez.
The latest reward announcement comes amid heightened political tensions between Washington and Caracas. The U.S. and several Western nations refuse to recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate leader following the disputed July 28, 2024 presidential election, which Washington claims was marred by fraud. This dispute has fueled deeper sanctions, economic isolation, and diplomatic hostility.
Venezuelan officials, including Foreign Minister Yvan Gil, have denounced the bounty as “pathetic” and “ridiculous,” accusing Washington of political interference and attempting to destabilize the country. They have also sought to link the announcement to U.S. domestic political scandals, such as the Jeffrey Epstein case involving Attorney General Pam Bondi.
While the U.S. frames Maduro as a dangerous narco-trafficker and security threat, critics question whether the massive bounty is more about diplomatic pressure than a realistic plan to capture him. Maduro remains firmly entrenched in Caracas, shielded by loyal forces, making the prospect of his arrest dependent on insider betrayal or an extraordinary shift in Venezuela’s political landscape.