The United States has increased its bounty for information resulting in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela to $50 million — twice the $25 million that was offered for information leading to Osama bin Laden. 

American officials have labeled Mr. Maduro as “one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world” as justification for the substantial reward. Attorney General Pam Bondi accused the Venezuelan leader of working with criminal gangs like Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel.

“Today, Department of Justice and State Department are announcing a historic $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Nicolas Maduro,” Ms. Bondi said on X in a video announcing the bounty. “Maduro uses foreign terrorist organizations to bring deadly drugs and violence into our country. The DOJ has seized over $700 million in Maduro-linked assets, including two jets and nine vehicles. Maduro is one of the world’s largest narco-traffickers and a threat to national security.” 

“Under President Trump’s leadership, Maduro will not escape justice and will be held accountable.”

President Trump has consistently opposed Mr. Maduro, who assumed office again in January after an election plagued by accusations of electoral fraud. During his first term in the White House, Mr. Trump issued an array of criminal charges against Mr. Maduro and other high-ranking officials, including narco-terrorism and drug-trafficking. Mr. Maduro has long rejected claims from American officials that he is directly involved in drug trafficking.

Venezuela’s foreign minister, Yvan Gil, called the announcement “pathetic” and nothing more than “political propaganda.”

“We’re not surprised, coming from whom it comes from,” Mr. Gil said to BBC News, alleging that Ms. Bondi was trying to create a “desperate distraction” from the backlash over the justice department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case.

In July, federal officials designated the Venezuela-based Cartel de los Soles as a global terrorist organization and said it was headed by Mr. Maduro.

“Today’s action further exposes the illegitimate Maduro regime’s facilitation of narco-terrorism through terrorist groups,” the Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, said in the announcement. 

“The Treasury Department will continue to execute on President Trump’s pledge to put America First by cracking down on violent organizations including Tren de Aragua, the Sinaloa Cartel, and their facilitators, like Cartel de los Soles.”