US Government Declares Venezuelan President Maduro Wanted For Drug Trafficking With $25million Bounty

The United States government has declared Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and two of his closest associates, Diosdado Cabello Rondón and Vladimir Padrino López, wanted for drug trafficking and narco-terrorism. In a statement released on Tuesday, the U.S. Department of State announced an unprecedented reward of $65 million: $25 million each for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Maduro and Cabello, and $15 million for Padrino López.

The U.S. authorities accuse the trio of leading the Cartel de los Soles—a Venezuelan criminal organization recently designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group by the U.S. Treasury Department. The cartel is alleged to be responsible for trafficking large volumes of cocaine into the United States and providing material support to other violent foreign organizations, including Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel.

According to the U.S. Department of State, wanted posters identify Maduro as a “designated global terrorist cartel leader” and charge him with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and conspiracy to use destructive weapons in furtherance of a drug crime. Diosdado Cabello and Vladimir Padrino López face similar charges related to the cartel’s drug trafficking activities.

The announcement comes just a day after the anniversary of Maduro’s latest re-election—an election the U.S. and its allies have publicly denounced as fraudulent. The U.S. refuses to recognize Maduro’s regime and, alongside allies like the UK and European Union, has imposed multiple waves of sanctions targeting Venezuela’s political and economic leadership. On the same day, Britain added sanctions on 15 top Venezuelan officials, including judges and military leaders, accusing them of undermining democracy and involvement in human rights abuses.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury emphasized its ongoing efforts, stating, “Today’s actions further expose the illegitimate Maduro regime’s facilitation of narco-terrorism through groups like Cartel de los Soles. The Treasury Department will continue to crack down on violent organizations and their facilitators”.

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Maduro and his government have repeatedly rejected accusations levied by Western countries and Venezuela’s opposition. There was no official response from the Maduro administration regarding the most recent U.S. actions as of press time.

With the new rewards program, the United States is calling on the global public for information to help bring Maduro, Cabello, and Padrino López to justice—intensifying international pressure on Venezuela’s embattled leadership and signaling a new phase in the ongoing crisis.