The United States doubled its reward on information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday, offering $50 million.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the new bounty in a video statement, highlighting Maduro’s ties to drug cartels and calling the South American dictator a threat to U.S. national security.
“Maduro uses foreign terrorist organizations like TDA, Sinaloa, and Cartel of the Suns to bring deadly drugs and violence into our country. To date, the DEA has seized 30 tons of cocaine linked to Maduro and his associates with nearly seven tons linked to Maduro himself,” said Bondi.
“The DOJ has seized over $700 million of Maduro-linked assets, including two private jets, nine vehicles, and more,” she added. “Yet, Maduro&#8217;s reign of terror continues. He is one of the largest narco traffickers in the world and a threat to our national security.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today, <a href="https://twitter.com/TheJusticeDept?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheJusticeDept</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/StateDept?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StateDept</a> are announcing a $50 MILLION REWARD for information leading to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro. <a href="https://t.co/D8LNqjS9yk">pic.twitter.com/D8LNqjS9yk</a>
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/1953583017353466306?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
The United States’ bounty on Maduro previously increased in January when the Biden administration increased it to $25 million. The higher bounty came after the United States accused Maduro of claiming victory over a fraudulent election last year.
The United States has not recognized Maduro as Venezuela&#8217;s lawful leader since 2019, after the dictator claimed victory over the “deeply flawed 2018 presidential election,” according to the Department of Justice.
The Department of Justice first placed a bounty on Maduro in 2020, set at $15 million.
During his first term, President Donald Trump began to <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-in-final-parting-shot-hits-venezuela-with-sanctions">ratchet</a> up pressure on Maduro. One of Trump’s last acts of his first term was to put in place sweeping sanctions on assets and people suspected of aiding Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, PDVSA, of trading its fuel.
Venezuela’s economy has collapsed under the Maduro regime, with millions of residents fleeing the country. The regime has kept afloat almost entirely from the country’s oil industry. Venezuela possesses the world’s largest proven oil reserves.
Earlier this year, Trump reversed course on a decision to cancel Venezuela’s license to work with Chevron to export oil to the United States. Chevron first obtained the license to work in Venezuela in 2022, and Trump canceled the license in February.
The president <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/trump-admin-allows-chevron-again-pump-oil-venezuela-reversing-ban">renewed</a> the license in July, reportedly as part of a prisoner swap that saw 10 American hostages returned to the United States from Venezuela.

Nicolas Maduro

Trump Hikes Bounty On Venezuela’s Maduro To $50M

Department of Justice

Pam Bondi

Venezuela

On Tuesday night, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the United States had rescued all the hostages kept by the socialist Venezuelan Maduro regime at the Argentinian Embassy in Caracas.
Those five hostages were members of the opposition to Nicholas Maduro’s brutal regime. “The government of Argentine President Javier Milei allowed the five people into the ambassador’s residence in March 2024, when authorities loyal to Venezuela’s ruling party issued warrants for their arrest, accusing them of promoting acts of violence to destabilize the country,” The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/05/06/venezuela-argentina-caracas-political-opposition-us-rubio/9ee7c378-2ada-11f0-a724-3bc879c9f843_story.html">reported</a>, adding, “Since late November, the group had denounced the constant presence of intelligence service agents and police outside the residence.”
“The U.S. welcomes the successful rescue of all hostages held by the Maduro regime at the Argentinian Embassy in Caracas,” Rubio wrote on X. “Following a precise operation, all hostages are now safely on U.S. soil. Maduro&#8217;s illegitimate regime has undermined Venezuela&#8217;s institutions, violated human rights, and endangered our regional security. We extend our gratitude to all personnel involved in this operation and to our partners who assisted in securing the safe liberation of these Venezuelan heroes.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The U.S. welcomes the successful rescue of all hostages held by the Maduro regime at the Argentinian Embassy in Caracas. 
Following a precise operation, all hostages are now safely on U.S. soil. Maduro&#39;s illegitimate regime has undermined Venezuela&#39;s institutions, violated human…
&mdash; Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio/status/1919905924149330199?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
In January, Milei met with exiled Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia in Casa Rosada, declaring him the Venezuelan “president elect.”
“Venezuelans, we will also meet in the streets of our beloved country,” González Urrutia wrote on X.
After the meeting, the Argentine government called González Urrutia “Venezuela’s president-elect,” adding he “is under political persecution by the regime of dictator Nicolás Maduro,” the Buenos Aires Herald <a href="https://buenosairesherald.com/world/international-relations/milei-calls-urrutia-venezuelas-president-elect-as-tension-with-caracas-skyrockets">reported</a>.
Maduro was declared the winner of the July 2024 presidential election in Venezuela by the National Electoral Council, while the opposition claimed that they were the winners. Milei wrote on X, “Venezuelans have chosen to end Nicolás Maduro&#8217;s communist dictatorship. The data indicates a crushing victory for the opposition, and the world awaits its recognition of defeat after years of socialism, misery, decadence, and death. Argentina will not acknowledge another fraud, and expects the Armed Forces to defend democracy and the popular will this time.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
DICTADOR MADURO, AFUERA!!!
Los venezolanos eligieron terminar con la dictadura comunista de Nicolás Maduro. Los datos anuncian una victoria aplastante de la oposición y el mundo aguarda que reconozca la derrota luego de años de socialismo, miseria, decadencia y muerte.…
&mdash; Javier Milei (@JMilei) <a href="https://twitter.com/JMilei/status/1817760569404842400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
When González Urrutia met with Milei, he gave him a framed voting tally showing he had won.

US-DIPLOMACY-RUBIO-CARICOM

Rubio Announces U.S. Rescued 5 Hostages Held By Maduro In Venezuela

Argentina

Global Politics

Javier Milei

Rescue

World

According to the FBI, some Venezuelan government officials, in order to erode public safety in the United States, “likely facilitate” the migration of Tren de Aragua gang members to the United States.
Tren de Aragua has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration.
The Venezuelan move to destabilize other countries also includes Chile, Ecuador, and Peru, Fox News Digital <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/venezuelan-government-uses-tren-de-aragua-proxies-undermine-us-public-safety-fbi-assessment-finds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, adding, “The FBI assesses that in the next six to 18 months, Venezuelan government officials likely will attempt to leverage Tren de Aragua members in the United States as proxy actors to threaten, abduct and kill members of the Venezuelan diaspora in the United States who are vocal critics of [Venezuala President Nicolás] Maduro and his regime.”
“These findings should shock Americans but not the law enforcement community,” an unnamed Trump administration official told Fox Digital. “They reflect the sentiments of numerous other intelligence assessments across multiple agencies. Nicholas Maduro is a Marxist dictator who hijacked a once-prosperous Venezuela and brought in nothing but total economic collapse and gang takeover. He crumbled Caracas, now overrun with drugs and violence, and wants to do the same across the United States by sending his most violent and dangerous criminals into our communities.&#8221;
“The Trump administration will continue to use every authority in our power to make sure these TdA terrorists, who are some of the worst in the world, are kept out of our country,&#8221; the official continued. “The American people voted overwhelmingly to make America safe again, and that is exactly what we will do.&#8221;
On April 18, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-alien-enemies-act-venezuela-tren-de-aragua-103919f71db9a9e7a9a3de1028585483" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, “A new U.S. intelligence assessment found no coordination between Tren de Aragua and the Venezuelan government, contradicting statements that Trump administration officials have made to justify their invocation of the Alien Enemies Act and deporting Venezuelan migrants, according to U.S. officials. The classified assessment from the National Intelligence Council, released this month, is more comprehensive and authoritative than an earlier intelligence product released Feb. 26 and reported last month by The New York Times.”
Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard reacted harshly, writing on X:
<blockquote>
The weaponization of intelligence to undermine the President’s agenda is an assault on democracy. Those behind this illegal leak of classified intelligence, twisted and manipulated to convey the exact opposite finding, will be held accountable under the full force of the law. Rooting out this politicization of intelligence is exactly what President Trump campaigned on and what Americans overwhelmingly voted for. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence fully supports the assessment that the foreign terrorist organization, Tren De Aragua, is acting with the support of the Maduro Regime, and thus subject to arrest, detention and removal as alien enemies of the United States.
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The weaponization of intelligence to undermine the President’s agenda is an assault on democracy. Those behind this illegal leak of classified intelligence, twisted and manipulated to convey the exact opposite finding, will be held accountable under the full force of the law.…
&mdash; DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) <a href="https://twitter.com/DNIGabbard/status/1914449185618767911?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
An official from the office of DNI said the information Fox News Digital was reporting was “based on intelligence that the illegal leakers and propaganda media conveniently did not include because it gets in the way of their biased narrative and attempt to deceive the American people.”

27 alleged gang members indicted in New York City

FBI: Maduro’s Venezuelan Govt Helping Tren De Aragua Terrorist Group Migrate To U.S.

Politics

Terrorism

Terrorists

Tren De Aragua

National Security Adviser Mike Waltz defended over the weekend the administration&#8217;s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport members of the Venezuelan illegal alien terrorist group Tren de Aragua.
Waltz made the remarks during a Sunday CBS News interview with Margaret Brennan on &#8220;Face The Nation&#8221; when asked about approximately 250 members of Tren de Aragua who were deported several days ago to El Salvador.
&#8220;President Trump has determined that this group is acting as a terrorist organization,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It is terrorizing our communities through attacks, torture, rape and the most awful of situations for those communities, number one.&#8221;
&#8220;And, number two, the Alien Sedition Act fully applies because we have also determined that this group is acting as a proxy of the Maduro regime,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;TDA is acting as a proxy of the Maduro regime. This is how the Alien [Enemies] Act applies. And we cannot have district judges interfering with the commander in chief&#8217;s actions to take care of in the way he deems necessary a terrorist organization.&#8221;
Waltz said that Venezuelan socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro was &#8220;deliberately emptying his prisons in a proxy manner to influence and attack the United States.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz defends the Trump administration&#8217;s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged Tren de Aragua gang members, telling <a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a>, &#8220;this group is acting as a proxy of the Maduro regime.&#8221;
When asked if the administration has… <a href="https://t.co/TQW503BcnF">pic.twitter.com/TQW503BcnF</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1903860601316917745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2025</a></blockquote>

SAUDI-US-UKRAINE-CONFLICT-TALKS-DIPLOMACY

Waltz Defends Use Of Alien Enemies Act To Remove Tren De Aragua Terrorists

Illegal Immigration

Mike Waltz

President Donald Trump said this week that his administration is reversing President Joe Biden&#8217;s decision to ease sanctions against the government of Venezuelan socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro.
Trump posted on social media: &#8220;We are hereby reversing the concessions that Crooked Joe Biden gave to Nicolás Maduro, of Venezuela, on the oil transaction agreement, dated November 26, 2022, and also having to do with Electoral conditions within Venezuela, which have not been met by the Maduro regime.&#8221;
&#8220;Additionally, the regime has not been transporting the violent criminals that they sent into our Country (the Good Ole’ U.S.A.) back to Venezuela at the rapid pace that they had agreed to,&#8221; Trump continued in his post on Wednesday.
&#8220;I am therefore ordering that the ineffective and unmet Biden &#8216;Concession Agreement&#8217; be terminated as of the March 1st option to renew,&#8221; he concluded. &#8220;Thank you for your attention to this matter!&#8221;
The move appears to be a blow for the United States oil company Chevron, which was granted an exception in 2022 to pump in Venezuela.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a subsequent statement that in accordance with Trump&#8217;s directive, he is &#8220;providing foreign policy guidance to terminate all Biden-era oil and gas licenses that have shamefully bankrolled the illegitimate Maduro regime.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today, pursuant to <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> directive, I am providing foreign policy guidance to terminate all Biden-era oil and gas licenses that have shamefully bankrolled the illegitimate Maduro regime.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio/status/1894971586270380305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
The announcement comes after Trump special envoy Richard Grenell visited Venezuela last month and reportedly had secured commitments from their government to accept deportation flights from the United States.
“I would urge the Maduro government, the Maduro regime in Venezuela, to heed special envoy Ric Grenell’s message,” said Mauricio Claver-Carone, Trump’s special envoy to Latin America, at the time. “Ultimately there will be consequences otherwise.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-votes-to-ban-doing-business-with-socialist-maduros-venezuela-regime">House Votes To Ban Doing Business With Socialist Maduro’s Venezuela Regime</a>

Nicolas Maduro Delivers Annual Address To The Nation

Trump Turns Screws On Venezuela, Reversing Biden’s Soft Stance Toward The Dictatorship

Donald Trump

President Donald Trump&#8217;s envoy for special missions <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/richard-grenell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Richard Grenell</a> secured the release of six Americans from socialist Venezuela on Friday after being sent there to force them to take back illegal aliens from their country.
&#8220;We are wheels up and headed home with these 6 American citizens,&#8221; Grenell wrote in a post on X late on Friday. &#8220;They just spoke to @realDonaldTrump and they couldn’t stop thanking him.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We are wheels up and headed home with these 6 American citizens.
They just spoke to <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> and they couldn’t stop thanking him. <a href="https://t.co/sCvCO4HQQv">pic.twitter.com/sCvCO4HQQv</a>
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell/status/1885482064050610536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
Trump said Saturday morning that it was &#8220;so good to have the Venezuela Hostages back home and, very important to note, that Venezuela has agreed to receive, back into their Country, all Venezuela illegal aliens who were encamped in the U.S., including gang members of Tren de Aragua.&#8221;
The identities of the six Americans who were released were not immediately known.
&#8220;Venezuela has further agreed to supply the transportation back,&#8221; Trump continued. &#8220;We are in the process of removing record numbers of illegal aliens from all Countries, and all Countries have agreed to accept these illegal aliens back.&#8221;
&#8220;Furthermore, record numbers of criminals are being removed from our Country, and the Border numbers are the strongest they have been since the First Term of the Trump Administration!&#8221; he added.

Ric Grenell

Trump Envoy Richard Grenell Gets 6 American Hostages Released From Venezuela

Hostages

Richard Grenell

Venezuelan socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro, who has presided over the ruination of his country, will likely be inaugurated again as president on Friday despite evidence of having lost a July election to retired diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia and opposition mounting.
Meanwhile, Maduro has been brutalizing the opposition. “The regime arrested more than 2,000 dissidents after the July election controversy triggered mass demonstrations,” The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/venezuelan-opposition-leader-detained-as-regime-steps-up-crackdown-d6a52af8?mod=hp_lead_pos10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. “This week, regime forces arrested González’s son-in-law, Rafael Tudares, along with Carlos Correa, who is one of Venezuela’s most prominent advocates for freedom of expression.”
Opposition leader María Corina Machado was briefly detained on Thursday after she finally reappeared following months in hiding from the government’s secret police. Machado appeared at an East Caracas demonstration protesting Maduro’s imminent inauguration; she stated, “All this strength that we have built and that grows every day prepares us to finish this final phase. Whatever they do tomorrow, they will be completely buried.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Ahora mismo <a href="https://twitter.com/MariaCorinaYA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MariaCorinaYA</a> en Chacao <a href="https://t.co/Jq2ZM4Biwg">pic.twitter.com/Jq2ZM4Biwg</a>
&mdash; Rafael Hernández (@sincepto) <a href="https://twitter.com/sincepto/status/1877429087515394340?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%C3%9ALTIMAHORA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ÚLTIMAHORA</a> | María Corina Machado (<a href="https://twitter.com/MariaCorinaYA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MariaCorinaYA</a>): &quot;Toda esta fuerza que hemos construido y que crece cada día nos prepara para terminar esta fase final. Hagan lo que hagan mañana, se terminan de enterrar&quot;. 
Conéctate AQUÍ <a href="https://t.co/07p7jDX8yl">https://t.co/07p7jDX8yl</a> <a href="https://t.co/NTmwPIDyuX">pic.twitter.com/NTmwPIDyuX</a>
&mdash; VPItv (@VPITV) <a href="https://twitter.com/VPITV/status/1877429003549581555?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Machado’s party, Vent Venezuela, reported on X, “Today, leaving the rally in Chacao, Caracas, María Corina Machado was intercepted and knocked off the motorcycle she was riding. Firearms were fired during the incident. She was taken away by force. During the period of her kidnapping she was forced to record several videos and was later released.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Atenci%C3%B3n?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Atención</a> ‼️ 
Hoy, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9Ene?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9Ene</a>, saliendo de la concentración en Chacao, Caracas, María Corina Machado (<a href="https://twitter.com/MariaCorinaYA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MariaCorinaYA</a>) fue interceptada y tumbada de la moto en la que se trasladaba. En el suceso detonaron armas de fuego. Se la llevaron retenida por la fuerza. Durante el periodo de su…
&mdash; Vente Venezuela (@VenteVenezuela) <a href="https://twitter.com/VenteVenezuela/status/1877462114677186802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Earlier this week, Gonzalez, whom Maduro threatened with arrest if he returned to Venezuela, traveled to Washington D.C., where he met with incoming National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. He then went to Argentina and Panama with the ballots from the July election to prove he had won. “We elected by a landslide, a good man and Edmundo Gonzalez. We have the proof of that victory, and the whole world knows it,&#8221; Machado told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/venezuelan-opposition-leader-maria-machado-has-urgent-message-president-elect-donald-trump">Fox News</a>. “We won.”
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“What we need is for all American institutions [to] understand that Venezuela is the most important conflict in the Western Hemisphere for national security of the U.S.,” Machado said. “We can be the best ally the United States will have in the Americas, first of all, because we also are desperate to solve the migration problem in our region. We want those Venezuelans to come back in billions and voluntarily. And that will happen when they&#8217;ll see there&#8217;s a future in their country. &#8230; Maduro has lost everything but fear and repression. Maduro lost all popular support, all legitimacy, and even he&#8217;s weakened or isolated internationally. What has he left? Russia, Iran, Hezbollah.”
“The regime has sent secret police units to encircle her family members’ homes, sent a drone over her mother’s house, and kidnapped President-elect Gonzalez&#8217;s brother-in-law on Tuesday,” Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/venezuelan-opposition-leader-maria-machado-has-urgent-message-president-elect-donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>.
In addition, Hezbollah has provided support to Maduro&#8217;s regime, according to the <a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/issue-brief/the-maduro-hezbollah-nexus-how-iran-backed-networks-prop-up-the-venezuelan-regime/">Atlantic Council</a>. “Too often, Hezbollah in Venezuela is characterized as only a potential terrorist threat. In reality, the Lebanese terrorist group has helped to turn Venezuela into a hub for the convergence of transnational organized crime and international terrorism. Hezbollah&#8217;s crime-terror network in Venezuela has facilitated Iran&#8217;s cooperation with the Maduro regime,” the Atlantic Council has reported.

Venezuelans in Chile demonstrate in support of Edmundo Gonzalez

Venezuelan Dictator Maduro’s Inauguration Is Today Despite Losing Election. Opposition Surges.

On Monday, in a bipartisan move, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill that would ban contracts with Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro’s regime.
Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL). President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for national security advisor, and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) introduced the bill.
“The BOLIVAR Act compliments existing sanctions by prohibiting the U.S. government from contracting with any person that has business operations with the illegitimate government of Nicolas Maduro, as well as any successor government of Venezuela not recognized as legitimate by the United States,” Waltz <a href="https://waltz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=952" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted.</a>
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
“Venezuela is in crisis due to the illegitimate, authoritarian rule and the Marxist policies of Nicolas Maduro and his Caracas cartel,” Waltz stated. “Maduro and his cronies have mocked and ignored the electoral will of the Venezuelan people, inciting violent action against the democratic opposition. Our policy must be based on solidarity with the brave activists that strive to break the shackles of oppression and not provide aid and comfort to their oppressors. We must maintain existing sanctions against the regime and seek to expand sanctions to minimize Maduro’s resources to abuse the freedoms and prosperity of the Venezuelan people.  This legislation sends a clear and powerful message to Maduro, as well as other dictators around the world, that there will be no appeasement, there will be no tolerance, there will be no reward for their rogue, illegal actions. &#8230; I urge the Senate to quickly pass this important bill and send it to the President’s desk for his signature.”
In September, Maduro ordered the arrest of presidential opponent Edmundo González Urrutia on grounds he had claimed that Maduro stole the election. Prosecutors charged him with &#8220;&#8216;usurpation&#8217; of public functions, &#8216;forgery&#8217; of a public document, incitement to disobedience, sabotage, and &#8216;association&#8217; with organized crime and financiers of &#8216;terrorism,'&#8221; according to <a href="https://www.barrons.com/news/venezuelan-prosecutors-seek-arrest-of-opposition-presidential-candidate-official-ee005e09" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AFP</a>.
“The head of an executive agency may not enter into a contract for the procurement of goods or services with any person that the head of an executive agency determines, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, knowingly engages in significant business operations with an authority of the Government of Venezuela that is not recognized as the legitimate Government of Venezuela by the United States,” H.R. 25 <a href="https://www.congress.gov/118/bills/hr825/BILLS-118hr825ih.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">states</a>.

MixCollage-19-Nov-2024-08-03-AM-3490

House Votes To Ban Doing Business With Socialist Maduro’s Venezuela Regime

National Security

Venezuelan authorities arrested three U.S. citizens and three Europeans on Saturday in connection with an alleged assassination plot against President Nicolás Maduro.
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced the arrests, which included two Spaniards and a Czech national, on state television and accused the suspects of taking part in a U.S.-led assassination plot against Maduro and several other members of the Venezuelan government, according to <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/venezuela-arrests-united-states-europe-citizens-alleged-coup-kill-nicolas-maduro/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico Europe</a>.
“These groups seek to seize the country&#8217;s wealth, and we as a government will respond firmly to any destabilization attempt,” Cabello said, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/spain-says-venezuela-arrests-foreigners-destabilizing-country-2024-09-14/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reuters</a>. The minister said that authorities seized hundreds of rifles that originated in the United States, as well.
The U.S. State Department spokesman confirmed that a member of the U.S. military had been detained in Venezuela and said the department was aware of reports of two other U.S. citizens being detained. The State Department denied any involvement in a plot to assassinate the Venezuelan government.
“Any claims of U.S. involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false. The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela,” a State Department spokesman said, according to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/09/15/g-s1-23070/venezuela-arrest-6-foreigners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NPR</a>.
&#8220;We are seeking additional information. We are closely monitoring the situation,&#8221; the spokesman added.
The United States has pressured Maduro to step down as president after a contentious July 28 election. Voting tallies published online by the opposition campaign showed the Venezuelan strongman losing the election in a landslide, though Maduro and the Venezuelan government have said those election tallies were forged.
The Venezuelan Supreme Court, largely filled by Maduro loyalists, declared Maduro the winner of the election. The United States government has <a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/08/11/2024/us-reportedly-offers-amnesty-to-venezuelas-president-maduro-to-give-up-power" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> discussed offering Maduro and his top allies amnesty if the Venezuelan president will cede power. The Biden administration has denied those reports.
The controversy over the election sparked widespread demonstrations in Venezuela, prompting a backlash from the government that reportedly left dozens dead and hundreds more injured.
Last week, the U.S. announced sanctions on 16 top officials in Maduro’s government following the contested election as tensions between Washington and Caracas continue to increase.

Nicolás Maduro

Venezuela Arrests Three Americans Amid Claims Of U.S.-Led Plot To Kill Maduro

State Department

United States

Venezuelan socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro ordered the arrest of presidential opponent Edmundo González on Monday as the country looks to quell dissent over the results of its recent election that Maduro claims without evidence that he won.
Venezuelan prosecutors sought an arrest warrant for Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia on Monday for claiming that Maduro stole the election.
Maduro asked for the arrest of Gonzalez Urrutia, a retired diplomat who went into hiding shortly after the election.
Prosecutors have charged him with &#8220;&#8216;usurpation&#8217; of public functions, &#8216;forgery&#8217; of a public document, incitement to disobedience, sabotage, and &#8216;association&#8217; with organized crime and financiers of &#8216;terrorism,'&#8221; according to the <a href="https://www.barrons.com/news/venezuelan-prosecutors-seek-arrest-of-opposition-presidential-candidate-official-ee005e09">AFP</a>.
A Venezuelan court authorized the arrest warrant on Monday evening.
The U.S., European Union, and multiple Latin American countries have not recognized the results of the recent election, casting doubts on its legitimacy as there is no proof that Maduro won. To the contrary, data published by the opposition indicates that Maduro may have lost by a significant margin.
Maduro&#8217;s government has killed dozens of people who have protested the results of the election in an attempt to silence dissent.
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said that the arrest warrant proves &#8220;Maduro has lost all touch with reality.&#8221;
&#8220;The arrest warrant issued by the regime to threaten President-Elect Edmundo Gonzalez crosses a new line that only strengthens the resolve of our movement,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Venezuelans and democracies around the world are more united than ever in our quest for freedom.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Maduro has lost all touch with reality. 
The arrest warrant issued by the regime to threaten President-Elect Edmundo Gonzalez crosses a new line that only strengthens the resolve of our movement.
Venezuelans and democracies around the world are more united than ever in our… <a href="https://t.co/QxwAuDmZwn">pic.twitter.com/QxwAuDmZwn</a>
— María Corina Machado (@MariaCorinaYA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MariaCorinaYA/status/1830752875279954271?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2024</a></blockquote>

‘Gran Marcha Mundial por la Paz’ March In Support Of Nicolas Maduro

Maduro Orders Arrest Of Presidential Opponent After Election Results Disputed

Socialism

The U.S. Department of Justice seized the plane of socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro on Monday after determining that it was illegally obtained.
U.S. officials seized the aircraft in the Dominican Republic and transferred it to the Southern District of Florida due to violations of U.S. export control and sanctions laws, the DOJ <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-states-seizes-aircraft-used-nicolas-maduro-moros-violation-us-export-control-and">said</a> in a statement.
Maduro&#8217;s Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft, purchased for roughly $13 million, was illegally purchased sometime between late 2022 and early 2023 by Maduro&#8217;s associates from a company in Florida.
The aircraft was illegally exported out of the U.S. and since then has &#8220;flown almost exclusively to and from a military base in Venezuela and has been used for the benefit of Maduro and his representatives, including to transport Maduro on visits to other countries.&#8221;
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The DOJ noted that sanctions signed by former President Donald Trump &#8220;prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with persons who have acted or purported to act directly or indirectly for or on behalf of, the Government of Venezuela, including as a member of the Maduro regime.&#8221;
CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/02/politics/us-seizes-venezuela-president-maduros-airplane/index.html">noted</a> that the plane, which has been described as &#8220;Venezuela’s equivalent to Air Force One,&#8221; was undergoing maintenance in the Dominican Republic when it was seized.
“This sends a message all the way up to the top,” a U.S. official told CNN. “Seizing the foreign head of state’s plane is unheard-of for criminal matters. We’re sending a clear message here that no one is above the law, no one is above the reach of US sanctions.”
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida said the seizure illustrated &#8220;our unrelenting commitment to enforcing U.S. export control laws and imposing U.S. sanctions for any violations.&#8221;
<a href="http://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1724361346607000&amp;usg=AOvVaw20WW7TctHuJrGIoU7DH97E">WATCH THE TRAILER FOR &#8216;AM I RACIST?&#8217; — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI</a>
&#8220;This successful seizure was the result of planning, coordination, and execution by the United States government, with invaluable assistance by the authorities in the Dominican Republic,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Our office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to work to forfeit this plane and all other assets that circumvent the law.&#8221;

US-VENEZUELA-DIPLOMACY-SANCTION

U.S. Seizes Socialist Dictator Nicolás Maduro’s Plane

The United States government said in a statement on Thursday that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/venezuela" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Venezuelan</a> opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia beat socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro during the country&#8217;s recent presidential election.
The announcement comes after at least 17 protesters have been killed and hundreds more arrested so far in riots that have broken out over the country&#8217;s sham election.
More than 12 million Venezuelans voted during the election, which is run by the Maduro-controlled National Electoral Council (CNE).
&#8220;The CNE’s rapid declaration of Nicolás Maduro as the winner of the presidential election came with no supporting evidence,&#8221; the U.S. State Department said in a statement. &#8220;The CNE still has not published disaggregated data or any of the vote tally sheets, despite repeated calls from Venezuelans and the international community to do so.&#8221;
Independent watchdogs have said that the CNE&#8217;s refusal to provide precinct-level official results, in addition to other serious voting irregularities, have destroyed the CNE&#8217;s credibility.
&#8220;Meanwhile, the democratic opposition has published more than 80 percent of the tally sheets received directly from polling stations throughout Venezuela,&#8221; said Secretary of State Antony Blinken. &#8220;Those tally sheets indicate that Edmundo González Urrutia received the most votes in this election by an insurmountable margin.&#8221;
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&#8220;Independent observers have corroborated these facts, and this outcome was also supported by election day exit polls and quick counts,&#8221; he added. &#8220;In the days since the election, we have consulted widely with partners and allies around the world, and while countries have taken different approaches in responding, none have concluded that Nicolás Maduro received the most votes this election.&#8221;
Blinken said that there was &#8220;overwhelming evidence&#8221; that Maduro lost the election and urged Venezuelan parties &#8220;to begin discussions on a respectful, peaceful transition in accordance with Venezuelan electoral law and the wishes of the Venezuelan people.&#8221;
&#8220;We fully support the process of re-establishing democratic norms in Venezuela and stand ready to consider ways to bolster it jointly with our international partners,&#8221; he added.

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