Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has thrown down the gauntlet to the United States, daring President Donald Trump to arrest him after the U.S. government doubled its reward for information leading to his capture to a staggering $50 million. The challenge, issued on August 11, 2025, during a fiery speech at the Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas, marks the latest—and perhaps boldest—escalation in the long-running standoff between Washington and Caracas.
“Come and arrest me, I will be waiting for you right here in Miraflores (Presidential Palace). Don’t delay, cowards,” Maduro declared, according to Bhaskar English, addressing not only his supporters but also a global audience closely watching the diplomatic chess match unfold. The U.S., meanwhile, has seized more than $700 million in assets linked to Maduro, including two private jets, and accuses him of being at the center of a sprawling international drug trafficking operation.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the new $50 million bounty on August 7, 2025, stating, “For more than a decade, Maduro has been the leader of the Cartel de los Soles, a drug trafficking organization responsible for trafficking drugs into the United States.” As reported by Air force, Bondi outlined allegations that Maduro is working in concert with notorious criminal outfits, including the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) claims to have seized 30 tons of cocaine linked to Maduro and his associates, with nearly 7 tons directly tied to the Venezuelan president himself.
These accusations are hardly new. In 2020, during Trump’s first term, the U.S. Justice Department indicted Maduro and other senior Venezuelan officials on charges ranging from narco-terrorism to corruption and drug trafficking. At the time, the U.S. alleged Maduro was collaborating with the Colombian rebel group FARC to “weaponize cocaine to ‘flood’ the United States.” The bounty for his arrest started at $15 million under Trump, was raised to $25 million during the Biden administration, and has now reached $50 million.
The U.S. Treasury Department escalated matters further on July 25, 2025, designating the Cartel de los Soles as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) organization. The move, said Bondi, underscores the administration’s determination to dismantle what it views as a criminal regime at Venezuela’s highest levels.
Maduro, for his part, has consistently denied all U.S. allegations of drug trafficking. He has decried the charges as “political propaganda” and a desperate attempt to distract from other controversies in the U.S. “America announces a bounty on our president like a Hollywood western movie, it is insulting to us,” said Venezuela’s military chief Domingo Hernandez Larez, voicing the military’s unwavering support for Maduro. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gil echoed this sentiment, calling the new reward “pathetic,” and accusing Washington of orchestrating a “political propaganda campaign.”
The backdrop to this high-stakes drama is Venezuela’s tumultuous political landscape. Maduro has been in power since 2013, succeeding the late Hugo Chavez. His grip on the presidency has survived widespread protests, international condemnation, and persistent allegations of election fraud. In the most recent presidential election held on July 28, 2024, Maduro claimed victory, but the U.S., European Union, and several Latin American nations refused to recognize the result, citing credible reports of voter manipulation and democratic backsliding.
“Since 2020, Maduro has stifled democracy and held onto power in Venezuela,” Air force reported, summarizing the U.S. view that the Venezuelan leader’s rule is illegitimate. The United States has steadfastly refused to recognize Maduro as president following the disputed 2024 election, further isolating his regime on the world stage.
The international response to Washington’s latest move has been swift, with neighboring Colombia stepping into the fray. On August 12, 2025, Colombian President Gustavo Petro warned that any American attack on Venezuela would be viewed as an attack on Colombia itself. “No matter how tumultuous the situation, we will defend Venezuela’s sovereignty,” Petro stated on social media, as reported by Bhaskar English. He emphasized the deep historical and cultural ties between the two countries, declaring, “Colombia and Venezuela share the same people, the same flag, and the same history.” Petro also called for U.S. and Venezuelan cooperation against drug trafficking, but insisted that national sovereignty must not be compromised. “Drug trafficking and the greed of capitalism must end,” he added.
The U.S. government, meanwhile, is actively soliciting information on Maduro’s whereabouts and activities. As outlined in a statement from the Office of the Prosecutor General, “If you have information, please contact the DEA by phone (call, WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, or text message) at +1-202-681-8187 or by email. If you are outside the United States, you may also contact your nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you are in the United States, you may also contact your local DEA field office. All information about the identity of the person providing the information is kept in the strictest confidence. Officials and employees of state bodies do not have the right to receive rewards.”
The deepening rift between Caracas and Washington has not gone unnoticed in Europe either. Following Maduro’s return to power in January 2025, both Britain and the European Union announced new sanctions against his government, signaling a unified front among Western democracies against what they see as authoritarian entrenchment and criminal activity at the highest levels of the Venezuelan state.
Yet, the saga is not without its twists. In June 2025, Hugo Carvajal, Venezuela’s former head of military intelligence and once a close ally of Maduro, was found guilty of multiple drug trafficking charges after being extradited from Madrid to the United States. Carvajal, known as “El Poyo” (“The Chicken”), had initially denied involvement but later changed his stance and admitted guilt. This reversal has fueled speculation that he may have struck a deal with U.S. authorities, possibly offering damaging evidence about Maduro in exchange for a reduced sentence.
While the U.S. intensifies its campaign, Maduro’s position at home remains bolstered by the Venezuelan military and key allies like Colombia—at least for now. The Venezuelan president’s defiant tone and the dramatic bounty placed on his head have only heightened the sense of brinkmanship. The world watches closely, wondering if the high-stakes standoff will escalate further, or if a diplomatic off-ramp can still be found before tensions boil over.
For now, Maduro remains ensconced in the Miraflores Palace, daring the U.S. to make its move, while Washington tightens the screws in a bid to bring him to justice. The next chapter in this saga is anybody’s guess, but one thing’s certain: neither side is backing down.
