The United States has doubled the reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to $50 million, the highest bounty ever offered by Washington for a foreign leader. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the decision in a video post, calling Maduro “one of the world’s largest drug traffickers” and a threat to U.S. national security. Bondi said Maduro collaborates with criminal networks including the Sinaloa Cartel, the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and the Cartel de los Soles. She added that U.S. authorities have seized about 30 tonnes of cocaine—nearly seven tonnes directly linked to Maduro—and more than $700 million in related assets. The reward, previously set at $25 million in January, now surpasses the amount once offered for Osama bin Laden. Maduro was first indicted on U.S. narcotics and terrorism charges in 2020, when a $15 million reward was posted under Donald Trump’s first term. Thursday’s escalation underscores the renewed pressure campaign by Trump in his second term, coming days after Washington restored a key oil licence for Chevron that could bolster Venezuela’s energy revenues. Caracas condemned the announcement. Foreign Minister Yván Gil dismissed the bounty as a “pathetic smokescreen” and “crude political propaganda,” insisting the dignity of Venezuela “is not for sale.” Maduro has repeatedly denied the U.S. accusations of drug trafficking and corruption.