Maduro faces $50 million US bounty

Leader of Venezuela linked to drug gang

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The United States doubled its bounty on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro — who faces federal drug trafficking charges — to US$50 million (1.6 billion baht) on Thursday, a move Caracas described as “pathetic” and “ridiculous”.

Washington, which does not recognise Mr Maduro’s past two election victories, accuses the South American country’s leader of leading a cocaine trafficking gang.

“Today, the Department of Justice and State Department are announcing a historic $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Nicolas Maduro,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a video on social media.

“He is one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world and a threat to our national security.”

The previous bounty was set in January at $25 million.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said Ms Bondi’s “pathetic” bounty was “the most ridiculous smokescreen we have ever seen”.

“The dignity of our homeland is not for sale. We reject this crude political propaganda operation,” Mr Gil said on Telegram.