The United States government has declared Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro wanted for drug trafficking, alongside two of his senior allies—Diosdado Cabello Rondón and Vladimir Padrino López.
In an official statement released on Tuesday, the U.S. Department of State offered a total reward of $65 million for credible information that could lead to the arrest and prosecution of the three Venezuelan officials.
President Maduro has a bounty of $25 million placed on him, while Cabello and Padrino carry rewards of $25 million and $15 million, respectively.
According to the State Department, the trio are believed to be influential figures within the “Cartel de los Soles,” a group recently designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. Treasury Department. The cartel is accused of trafficking large volumes of narcotics into American territory.
“The @USTreasury has sanctioned Cartel de los Soles as a terrorist organization. Operated by Nicolás Maduro and his corrupt circle, it is responsible for flooding the U.S. with drugs,” the department stated in its announcement.
The message continued, “Join us in holding Maduro and his close associates—Diosdado Cabello Rondón and Vladimir Padrino López—accountable!”
A wanted poster circulated by U.S. authorities describes Maduro as the leader of the Cartel de los Soles and labels him a designated global terrorist. He faces multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and conspiracy to use machine guns and explosives in furtherance of drug crimes.
The timing of this announcement is notable, coming a day after Maduro marked one year since his contested re-election—an election dismissed as illegitimate by Washington and its allies.
The U.S. has consistently refused to recognize Maduro’s leadership, implementing a range of sanctions aimed at weakening Venezuela’s political and financial elites.
A similar public appeal for information on Maduro was issued by the U.S. in January, coinciding with his swearing-in for a controversial third term as president.
The inauguration itself was met with condemnation from international observers and Venezuelan opposition figures alike.
Rewards were also reiterated for the arrest or conviction of Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello. In addition, a new bounty of up to $15 million was introduced for Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino.
In solidarity, the United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on 15 prominent Venezuelan officials, including members of the judiciary, security services, and military leadership.
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