The STOP MADURO Act increases the maximum reward to $100,000,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Nicolas Maduro Moros, with funds sourced from seized assets of Maduro, his regime officials, and associates.
Rick Scott
Senator
FL
The "STOP MADURO Act" increases the maximum reward to $100,000,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Venezuelan leader Nicols Maduro Moros. Funds for the reward will come from seized assets of Maduro, his regime officials, and their associates. This action is based on findings that Maduro and his lieutenants allegedly ran a narco-terrorism partnership with the FARC, intending to flood the United States with cocaine.
STOP MADURO Act: $100M Bounty on Venezuelan Leader, Funded by Seized Assets
The "Securing Timely Opportunities for Payment and Maximizing Awards for Detaining Unlawful Regime Officials Act of 2025," or the STOP MADURO Act, dramatically raises the stakes in the U.S. pursuit of Venezuelan leader Nicols Maduro Moros. This bill boosts the reward for information leading directly to Maduro's arrest and conviction to a staggering $100 million. What's unusual here is where that money comes from: the sale of assets seized from Maduro himself, his officials, and their associates.
Cash for Conviction
The core of the bill is straightforward: it sets up a massive reward, funded in an unconventional way. The U.S. government has charged Maduro and several top officials with serious crimes, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation, and weapons offenses, as stated in SEC. 2. These charges carry potential life sentences. The bill, in SEC. 3, authorizes the Secretary of State to pay up to $100 million for information that leads to the arrest and a conviction. The funding is designated to come from the sale of assets seized under laws like the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act and various Executive Orders. This means property and funds grabbed from Maduro's circle could be used to pay the hefty reward. For example, if a seized yacht sells for $10 million, that money goes into the reward fund.
Real-World Implications: From Yachts to Informants
Imagine a Venezuelan official with close ties to Maduro, who also owns a luxury apartment in Miami. Under this law, that property could be seized and sold, with the proceeds going towards the $100 million reward. Or picture a business associate with hidden bank accounts linked to the regime—those funds could be frozen and eventually used to pay out the reward. This creates a direct financial incentive for individuals with inside knowledge to come forward. It also means that the success of the reward program is tied directly to the U.S. government's ability to seize and sell assets linked to Maduro and his associates.
Potential Snags and the Bigger Picture
While the bill's goal is to bring Maduro to justice, the method of funding raises some questions. Using seized assets in this way could create a kind of "bounty hunting" scenario, with the potential for misuse or misappropriation of those assets. There's also the risk that the huge reward could incentivize false or misleading information, as people try to cash in. Furthermore, focusing so intensely on one individual could have wider implications for U.S.-Venezuelan relations, regardless of the legal justifications. The bill cites existing laws and executive orders as the basis for these actions, but the sheer scale of the reward and the funding mechanism represent a significant escalation in the U.S. approach to the Maduro regime.