US doubles reward for arrest of Venezuelan president

The Trump administration is doubling to $US50 million ($A77 million) a reward for the arrest of Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro, accusing him of being one of the world's largest narco-traffickers and working with cartels to flood the US with fentanyl-laced cocaine.

"Under President Trump's leadership, Maduro will not escape justice and he will be held accountable for his despicable crimes," Attorney General Pam Bondi said Thursday in a video announcing the reward.

Maduro was indicted in Manhattan federal court in 2020, during the first Trump presidency, along with several close allies on federal charges of narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine.

At the time, the US offered a $US15 million reward for his arrest. That was later raised by the Biden administration to $US25 million - the same amount the US offered for the capture of Osama bin Laden following the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Despite the big bounty, Maduro remains entrenched after defying the US, the European Union and several Latin American governments who condemned his 2024 re-election as a sham and recognised his opponent as Venezuela's duly elected president.

The Trump administration in July struck a deal to secure the release of 10 Americans jailed in the capital Caracas in exchange for Venezuela getting home scores of migrants deported by the United States to El Salvador under the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

Shortly after, the White House reversed course and allowed US oil producer Chevron to resume drilling in Venezuela after it was previously blocked by US sanctions.

Bondi said the Justice Department has seized more than $US700 million ($A1 billion) in assets linked to Maduro including two private jets, and said seven million tonnes of seized cocaine had been traced directly to the leftist leader.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil released a statement characterising the reward as "pathetic" and accusing Bondi of orchestrating a "crude political propaganda operation".