Republican Calls for $100,000,000 Bounty for Nicolás Maduro

[ad_1] Senator Rick Scott reiterated his name for a $100 million bounty for Venezuela's president Nicolás Maduro amid an escalation in tensions between Washington and Caracas.

In an X submit on Tuesday, the Florida Republican known as for the speedy passage of his proposed laws towards Maduro on the identical day as President Donald Trump introduced the U.S. had carried out a strike on a drug-carrying speedboat that had departed Venezuela, killing 11 "narco terrorists."

Scott had launched the Cease Maduro Act in September 2024 which had amongst its goals, a push to extend the utmost reward quantity from $15 million to $100 million for data resulting in the arrest and conviction of Maduro, a person whom Washington doesn't contemplate to be the South American nation's official chief following disputed elections.

Newsweek has contacted the Venezuelan international ministry for remark.

President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro at Resort Melia Caracas on September 01, 2025. President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro at Resort Melia Caracas on September 01, 2025. Jesus Vargas/Getty Photos Why It Issues Trump mentioned the speedboat focused within the latest assault was operated by members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. earlier this 12 months, which Washington says is managed by Maduro.

Caracas denies this.

Tuesday's strike marked an intensification of U.S.–Venezuela tensions and sends a warning to the area in regards to the Trump administration's crackdown on drug trafficking. In the meantime, Scott's submit provides to the strain on Caracas.

What To Know On the finish of final month, the U.S. deployed warships, marines, and a nuclear submarine off Venezuela's coast as a part of the Trump administration's anti‑cartel push.

On Monday, Maduro accused the U.S. of belligerence and threatened to launch an "armed wrestle" and would struggle any tried American navy intervention.

On Tuesday, Scott shared on X Maduro's warning to the U.S., including, "Maduro and his thugs' threats are but another excuse why we should move my STOP MADURO Act."

This refers back to the invoice he launched with Marco Rubio, now Secretary of State, to extend the bounty for the Venezuelan president to $100 million, utilizing seized belongings.

The White Home had not too long ago elevated the reward to $50 million.

After Scott made the submit, Trump introduced that U.S. navy had sunk a speedboat within the southern Caribbean he mentioned was carrying medication from Venezuela which was operated by the Tren de Aragua gang.

Nevertheless, Venezuela's data minister, Freddy Ñáñez, mentioned on Telegram it was "extremely seemingly" that the video of the strike was AI generated, with out offering proof for the declare.

Maduro Focused Democratic international locations together with the U.S. acknowledge Edmundo González because the official chief of Venezuela following final 12 months's elections through which Maduro claimed victory. As such, the White Home portrays Maduro not as president, however because the chief of a "narco‑terror cartel."

The Trump administration has additionally pledged to crack down on drug trafficking, with a deal with fentanyl and Latin American gangs specifically and designated teams like Tren de Aragua, El Salvador's MS‑13, and Mexican cartels, as Overseas Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).

This might enable for U.S. navy motion overseas with out the necessity for conventional conflict declarations, framing cartel exercise as a nationwide safety risk relatively than only a regulation‑enforcement difficulty.

In July, The Division of the Treasury's Workplace of Overseas Belongings Management (OFAC) designated the Venezuela-based Cartel de los Soles as a terrorist group headed by Maduro.

Sanctions skilled Brett Erickson instructed Newsweek in July the U.S. Treasury's FEND Off Fentanyl designations, and govt orders concentrating on Maduro's regime, have been a part of a deliberate shift in U.S. coverage through which a monetary conflict on cartels is executed via sovereign and monetary (denial of liquidity) strain.

"These aren't simply drug designations. They're sovereignty-adjacent actions, redefining how Treasury treats states that function as prison ecosystems," added Erickson, advisor to Seton Corridor's Faculty of Diplomacy and Worldwide Relations.

What Individuals Are Saying Senator Rick Scott on X: "Maduro and his thugs' threats are but another excuse why we should move my STOP MADURO Act and lift his bounty to $100,000,000 ASAP."

President Donald Trump on Wednesday: "US Army Forces performed a kinetic strike towards positively recognized Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists within the SOUTHCOM space of duty...pease let this function discover to anyone even fascinated about bringing medication into the US of America. BEWARE!"

Senator Scott later posted: "Because of @POTUS and @SecRubio Maduro and his thugs know that their anarchy and their evils won't be tolerated!"

What Occurs Subsequent Caracas has rejected Trump's claims in regards to the strike and there might be anticipation over what Maduro's subsequent transfer might be and what's going to occur with the U.S. naval presence within the Caribbean.