Elon Musk shares $15M bounty poster for Maduro's arrest

New Delhi: Elon Musk recently took to social media to share a 2021 "reward poster" from the US Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Services. The poster, requesting information on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro Moros, links him to multiple serious charges, including narco-terrorism, corruption, and drug trafficking. The US government has offered a substantial reward of up to $15 million for information leading to Maduro's arrest and/or conviction.

Details of the poster and charges

The poster features an image of Maduro and states, "The Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Services offers a reward of up to $15,000,000 USD for information leading to the arrest/conviction of Nicolás Maduro Moros." This reward poster stems from a broader campaign initiated by the US government in 2020, where Maduro and 14 other former Venezuelan officials were charged across multiple US states for various criminal activities.

Historical context and US statements

In 2020, the Department of State released a statement highlighting the severity of Maduro's alleged crimes. "The Venezuelan regime, once led by Nicolás Maduro Moros, remains plagued by criminality and corruption. For more than 20 years, Maduro and several high-ranking colleagues allegedly conspired with the FARC, causing tons of cocaine to enter and devastate American communities," said then Attorney General Barr.

Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman added, "We announce criminal charges against Nicolás Maduro Moros for running, together with his top lieutenants, a narco-terrorism partnership with the FARC for the past 20 years. The scope and magnitude of the drug trafficking alleged were made possible only because Maduro and others corrupted the institutions of Venezuela and provided political and military protection for the rampant narco-terrorism crimes described in our charges."

Musk's social media posts

Musk shared links to the department's press releases on X, writing, "This is true." His post came just hours after Maduro publicly declared war on Musk, accusing him of being a threat to Venezuela. "He is the representation of fascist ideology, anti-natural, anti-society," Maduro said, warning Musk to "control yourself" and adding, "Whoever gets involved with me dries out."

The controversy intensified after both Maduro and his opponents claimed victory in Sunday's presidential elections. Musk accused Maduro of "major election fraud," expressing his disapproval with the statement, "Shame on Dictator Maduro."