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Times Caribbean – August 8, 2025 – In a stunning escalation of U.S. pressure on Venezuela, former U.S. President and Republican presidential frontrunner Donald J. Trump has announced that he will double the bounty for the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro — from $25 million to a staggering $50 million.

Trump, who is campaigning to return to the White House in 2025, accused Maduro of being a drug kingpin in presidential clothing, alleging that the Venezuelan strongman has been working with international cartels to flood the United States with fentanyl-laced cocaine.

This explosive move comes five years after Maduro was first indicted in a New York City federal court in 2020 — during Trump’s first presidency — on charges of narcoterrorism, drug trafficking, and corruption. At that time, the U.S. offered a $15 million reward for his arrest.

Under President Joe Biden, the bounty was later increased to $25 million. But despite mounting international condemnation — including from the European Union, which labeled his 2024 re-election a “sham” and recognized his opponent as Venezuela’s rightful president — Maduro remains firmly in power in Caracas, bolstered by loyal military forces, key regional allies, and lucrative illicit trade.

Trump’s fiery rhetoric suggests he plans to make Maduro’s downfall a foreign policy priority if re-elected, vowing to “end the reign of a narco-dictator who has poisoned our streets and destroyed his own country.”

The Venezuelan government has not yet issued an official response to Trump’s latest bounty boost, but in past statements, Maduro has dismissed U.S. charges as “imperialist lies” and vowed to resist “any foreign intervention.”

With the reward now at an unprecedented $50 million, the hunt for Maduro has entered uncharted political and diplomatic territory — setting the stage for a high-stakes geopolitical showdown that could shake the Americas.

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