Saturday, March 29, 2025
Donald Trump Doubles Bounty on Venezuela’s President, Matches Osama bin Laden Reward
The United States has intensified its efforts to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, with the Trump administration announcing a dramatic increase in the bounty on his arrest — now matching the amount once placed on al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
According to U.S. officials, President Donald Trump has doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest, accusing him of being one of the world’s largest drug traffickers. The Venezuelan leader is alleged to have worked closely with powerful cartels to smuggle massive quantities of cocaine into the United States.
Attorney General Pam Bondi stated on Thursday, “Under President Trump’s leadership, Maduro will not escape justice. He will be held accountable for his crimes.” Bondi also revealed that the Justice Department has seized assets worth $700 million linked to Maduro, including two private jets. She added that investigators have directly tied nearly seven tons of cocaine to the Venezuelan president.
The case against Maduro dates back to 2020, when a Manhattan court indicted him for conspiring to traffic cocaine into the United States. At the time, the Trump administration announced a $15 million reward for his capture. In 2021, President Joe Biden increased the bounty to $25 million — the same amount the U.S. had once offered for Osama bin Laden. The Trump administration has now reaffirmed and doubled down on that figure as part of its renewed crackdown.
The Venezuelan government has sharply criticized Washington’s move, calling it a politically motivated campaign. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil said, “We are not surprised by those who orchestrate such actions — the same people who claimed to possess Jeffrey Epstein’s secret list and exploited the scandal for political gain.”
The escalation in pressure marks one of the most aggressive U.S. actions against a sitting foreign head of state in recent years, signaling that the Trump administration is determined to bring Maduro to justice despite diplomatic tensions.
