On the same day Nicolás Maduro was sworn in to serve a six-year term as the president of Venezuela, the U.S. announced a $25 million reward for his arrest.
The reward is part of a program aimed at "disrupting and dismantling transnational drug trafficking organizations."
"Maduro helped manage and ultimately lead the Cartel of the Suns, a Venezuelan drug-trafficking organization comprised of high-ranking Venezuelan officials," the U.S. government alleges. "As he gained power in Venezuela, Maduro participated in a corrupt and violent narco-terrorism conspiracy with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
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Maduro has been in power since 2013 following the death of former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. In July, he declared himself the winner of a disputed presidential election.
The Associated Press reports that hundreds of anti-Maduro protesters took to the streets of Caracas on Friday — expressing their support for opposition leader Edmundo González.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security announced Friday it was extending Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans for 18 months due to "extraordinary and temporary conditions that prevent eligible Venezuelan nationals from safely returning."
President Joe Biden met with González this week in Washington, calling him the president-elect. The White House said the two men spoke about their "shared efforts to restore democracy in Venezuela."
