Since Nicolas Maduro succeeded Hugo Chavez as Venezuela’s Bolivarian dictator, his relationship with the US has been rocky to say the least.
This is driven by ideological differences with the socialist strongman, as well as allegations of drug trafficking, human rights abuses, and disputes over his (lack of) electoral legitimacy.
Maduro tries to position himself as a vocal critic of U.S. influence in Latin America, while the U.S. criticizes Maduro’s government for authoritarianism, accusing it of undermining democratic institutions, repressing dissent, and causing Venezuela’s economic collapse through his insane policies.
This has led to sanctions against Maduro and his allies, reflecting a broader strategy to pressure the regime toward democratic reforms.
In 2019, the U.S. refused to recognize Maduro’s sham re-election, and recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president.
The weak and leftist-leaning Biden administration resumed limited talks in 2022 and easing some sanctions in exchange for ‘electoral reforms’ that never came.
Maduro barred opposition leader María Corina Machado from running in the 2024 presidential election and again stole the elections in July 2024.
The US also accuses Maduro of narco-terrorism, charging him in 2020 with leading the Cartel of the Suns, a drug-trafficking organization, and increasing a reward for his arrest to $25 million in January 2025.
.@USTreasury just sanctioned Cartel de los Soles as a terrorist group. Run by the corrupt & contemptable Nicolás Maduro, it is responsible for trafficking drugs into the U.S. Help us take down Maduro and his cronies Diosdado Cabello Rondón & Vladimir Padrino López! pic.twitter.com/6mQZ59WgbB
— US Dept of State INL (@StateINL) July 29, 2025
Now, the US is doubling down and raising the reward for information leading to the arrest of Maduro to unprecedented $50 million.
Today, @TheJusticeDept and @StateDept are announcing a $50 MILLION REWARD for information leading to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro. pic.twitter.com/D8LNqjS9yk
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) August 7, 2025
“Today, the Department of Justice and State Department are announcing a historic 50 million dollar reward for information leading to the arrest of Nicholas Maduro. Maduro uses foreign terrorist organizations like TDA, Sinaloa, and Cartel of the Sons to bring deadly drugs and violence into our country. To date, the DEA has seized 30 tons of cocaine linked to Maduro and his associates with nearly 7 tons linked to Maduro himself, which represents a primary source of income for the deadly cartels based in Venezuela and Mexico.
Cocaine is often laced with fentanyl, resulting in the loss and destruction of countless American lives. The DOJ has seized over 700 million dollars of Maduro-linked assets, including two private jets, nine vehicles, and more. Yet, Maduro’s reign of terror continues.
He is one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world and a threat to our national security. Therefore, we’ve doubled his reward to 50 million dollars. Under President Trump’s leadership, Maduro will not escape justice and he will be held accountable for his despicable crimes.
If you have any information to bring this criminal to justice, call 1-202-307-4228 or go online.”
The U.S. government has just announced a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro.
Maduro has labeled Israel an enemy of the world, claiming that today’s Israel is not governed by the original twelve tribes but by “fake… pic.twitter.com/8rRwhIliK4
— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) August 7, 2025
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