The United States offers a $ 50 million award for the arrest of Nicolás Maduro from Venezuela

The United States has doubled a reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro at $ 50 million (37.2 million pounds Sterling), accusing him of being “one of the largest narco-transfers in the world”.

US President Donald Trump is a long -standing critic from Maduro, who returned to functions in January following an election spoiled by voting allegations. The results were largely rejected by the international community.

The Attorney General Pam Bondi said the United States would double its already announced award of $ 25 million (18.6 million pounds sterling), and said Maduro was directly linked to drug smuggling operations.

The Venezuelan government has not publicly responded to Bondi’s remarks, but Maduro previously denied such claims.

During Trump’s first term, the US government charged Maduro and other high-ranking Venezuelan officials with a range of offenses, including narco-terrorism, corruption and drug trafficking.

At the time, the American Ministry of Justice said that Maduro had worked with the Colombian rebel group FARC to “use cocaine as a weapon to” flood “the United States”.

In a video published on X Thursday, Bondi accused Maduro of coordinating with groups like Tren from Aragua – a Venezuelan gang that the Trump administration declared a terrorist organization – and the Sinaloa cartel, a powerful criminal network based in Mexico.

She said that the US Drug Enfacing Administration (DEA) “seized 30 tonnes of cocaine linked to Maduro and its associates, nearly seven tonnes linked to Maduro itself”.

Maduro previously rejected American complaints that he has direct involvement in drug trafficking.

Bondi’s comments are an extension of long -term tensions between the United States and the Venezuelan government – but the Attorney General has provided no other indication on how the government was considering the renewed appeal and cash incentives would give results.

Maduro – who is the leader of the united Socialist Party and succeeded Hugo Chavez in 2013 – was repeatedly accused of repressing opposition groups and silencing dissent in Venezuela, including with the use of violence.

He resisted the demonstrations following the disputed elections last year and retained his grip on power.

But in June, Hugo Carvajal – formerly Venezuela military intelligence chief – was found guilty of several accusations of drug trafficking after being arrested in Madrid and tried in the United States.

Carvajal had been a dreaded period called El Pollo, or the chicken, but fled Venezuela after calling the army to support an opposition candidate and overthrow Maduro.

He first denied drug accusations, but then changed his plea as a guilty, fueling the speculation that he had concluded an agreement with the American authorities for less sentence in exchange for incriminating information on Maduro.

The United Kingdom and the EU announced sanctions against the Maduro government after its return to the post earlier this year.