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US doubles bounty for Venezuelan leader Maduro

Aug 8, 2025, 7:10am EDT
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Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro.
Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters

The US doubled its bounty for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, a largely tokenistic gesture that is unlikely to weaken the regime.

Washington has accused the South American leader of being one of the world’s biggest narcotraffickers, alleging Maduro has helped flood the US with fentanyl-laced drugs. “Maduro will not escape justice and he will be held accountable for his despicable crimes,” the US attorney general said.

Critics fear the move will do little to dislodge Maduro, who, crucially, retains the support of the country’s military. The international community should do “much more,” Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said, adding that the US “couldn’t turn a blind eye” to the crisis in her country.

A chart showing Venezuela’s net migration.
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