The United States has doubled the reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to $50m, accusing him of being among the world's largest drug traffickers, BBC reports, News.bg reports.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro was directly involved in drug trafficking and coordinated actions with criminal groups such as the “Tren de Aragua“ and the Mexican “Sinaloa“ cartel.
In response, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gil described the move as “pathetic political propaganda“. Tensions between Washington and Caracas have been escalating since Donald Trump's first term, when Maduro and his top aides were accused of narco-terrorism and corruption.
According to US authorities, 30 tons of cocaine linked to the Venezuelan regime have been seized, with almost 7 tons linked to Maduro personally. The president denies the charges.
Maduro has ruled Venezuela since 2013, succeeding Hugo Chavez. Last month, former military intelligence chief Hugo Carvajal was convicted in the US of drug trafficking after pleading guilty and, according to media reports, providing incriminating information about Maduro.
The UK and the European Union already imposed sanctions on Maduro's government earlier this year.