Elon Musk shares $15M bounty on Venezuela's president amidst political turmoil

Elon Musk recently posted on X, formerly Twitter, a 2021 poster from the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Services. 

The poster sought information on Nicolás Maduro Moros regarding several charges, including corruption and drug trafficking, and offered rewards of up to $15 million for details leading to his arrest or conviction. This bounty has resurfaced due to the controversial election win of Maduro.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has won a third term with 51% of the vote, according to the country's electoral authority, which made the announcement just after midnight on Monday. This result came despite multiple exit polls indicating an opposition win. The electoral authority reported that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez secured 44% of the vote. Earlier, the opposition had claimed it had "reasons to celebrate" and urged supporters to keep monitoring the vote counts.

The Trump administration had previously announced indictments against Maduro and his associates, accusing them of transforming Venezuela into a "narco-terrorism" operation. U.S. Attorney General William Barr highlighted the extensive corruption within the Venezuelan government, accusing top officials of using the U.S. banking system to launder illicit proceeds from South America and further criminal activities.

Prosecutors in Miami and New York unsealed indictments involving money laundering, drug trafficking, corruption, and other criminal charges. U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman stated that the indicted individuals, despite holding significant political and military roles, betrayed the Venezuelan people and exploited state institutions for personal gain.

This rare indictment of a sitting head of state escalated tensions between Washington and Caracas.