White House proposed $50M reward leaflet drop over Venezuela capital to ramp up strain on Maduro regime | EUROtoday

The White House proposed having U.S. navy planes drop leaflets over Venezuela’s capital in an operation geared toward intensifying strain on the nation’s president, Nicolás Maduro, based on a report.

In what may quickly be the newest U.S. escalation towards Venezuela, the reported plan entails planes dispersing leaflets in Caracas that include particulars concerning the $50 million reward for info resulting in Maduro’s arrest and conviction, sources advised the Washington Post.

The psychological operation, which has not but been licensed, may happen as quickly as Sunday to coincide with Maduro’s 63rd birthday, the paper reported.

The Independent has requested the White House for remark.

Maduro has been in energy since 2013, following the loss of life of Hugo Chavez; greater than 50 international locations, together with the U.S., have refused to acknowledge Maduro as Venezuela’s head of state, claiming he misplaced the 2024 presidential election.

The State Department in 2020 supplied a reward of as much as $15 million for info resulting in his arrest or conviction associated to his indictment on narcoterrorism costs. The Biden administration raised that reward to $25 million in January 2025; in August, the Trump administration doubled that quantity.

Reuters additionally reported that the U.S. was planning to launch “covert operations” associated to Venezuela. A senior administration official advised the outlet: “President Trump is prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice.”

For months, Trump has been ramping up a pressure campaign against Maduro.

Since early September, the U.S. has been launching strikes against alleged drug-carrying vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, killing at least 80 people. The strikes are meant to target what administration officials say are “narco-terrorists.”

The United States also sent its most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, to the Caribbean Sea earlier this month.

As the aircraft carrier headed toward the waters off Venezuela earlier this month, Maduro said, “No more forever wars. No more unjust wars. No more Libya. No more Afghanistan. Long live peace.”

The military buildup in the region also consists of at least eight other warships and F-35 aircraft.

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a notice Friday to airlines warning of a “potentially hazardous situation” when flying over Venezuela amid the “worsening safety scenario and heightened navy exercise in or round Venezuela.”

The newest reported escalation comes because the U.S. is in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels, which Trump alleges are fueled by Maduro’s authorities.

At an October roundtable, when requested why he didn’t search a declaration of struggle from Congress and insisted he had the authority to hold out such strikes.

“I don’t think we’re going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war. I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country, OK? We’re going to kill them,” the U.S. president stated.

Legal specialists and former nationwide safety officers have disputed the president’s declare that he has authorized authority to launch extrajudicial killings towards the alleged drug traffickers. Bipartisan members of Congress have additionally shared their considerations.

“If we’re going to go to war with Venezuela, the president needs to make his case, and they’ve done zero on this,” Nebraska GOP Rep. Don Bacon advised CNN final week. “If he wants to continue the operations on these boats, he should get authorization.”

Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, who serves on each the House Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, stated at a press convention this week: “The last time we received a briefing on Venezuela with the full committee was never. “That is something that should alarm everybody.”