BREAKING: Trump declares President wanted for drug trafficking, offers $65m bounty for arrest

The United States government has officially declared Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and two of his top associates wanted for drug trafficking, offering a combined $65 million reward for information leading to their arrest and conviction.

 

The U.S. Department of State, Tuesday, unveiled the charges, accusing Maduro and allies Diosdado Cabello Rondón and Vladimir Padrino López of leading the Cartel de los Soles—a criminal organization recently designated a terrorist group by the U.S. Treasury Department.

 

A $25 million reward has been placed on Maduro, with $25 million on Cabello and $15 million on Padrino.

 

“@USTreasury just sanctioned Cartel de los Soles as a terrorist group. Run by the corrupt and contemptible Nicolás Maduro, it is responsible for trafficking drugs into the U.S.,” the State Department posted on its official social media page.

 

The wanted poster issued by U.S. authorities describes Maduro as a “designated global terrorist” and outlines charges including:

 

According to U.S. officials, the Cartel de los Soles has played a central role in moving vast quantities of cocaine into the United States, allegedly using Venezuela’s state institutions as a protective cover.

 

The announcement follows closely on the heels of Maduro’s celebration of the first anniversary of his controversial re-election, a vote widely rejected by Washington and its allies as fraudulent and illegitimate.