Maduro mobilizes militias after US doubles bounty

Watch Maduro mobilizes militias after US doubles bounty - Straight Arrow News on Dailymotion

Transcript

00:00Venezuela's president, Nicolas Maduro, says he's activating a nationwide militia plan

00:05after the United States doubled the reward for his arrest to $50 million.

00:12In a televised speech, Maduro announced more than 4.5 million militia members will be placed on duty

00:18to protect what he called Venezuela's sovereignty.

00:22Official figures put the number closer to 5 million,

00:24though outside estimates say it's far smaller in a country of about 30 million people.

00:30The move came hours after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi accused Maduro of working with cartels

00:35to flood the United States with fentanyl-laced cocaine.

00:39She called him one of the world's largest narco-traffickers.

00:42Washington says nearly 30 tons of cocaine have been seized from networks tied to Maduro,

00:48including almost 7 tons linked directly to him.

00:51Federal prosecutors charged the Venezuelan leader with narco-terrorism back in 2020.

00:57Caracas is denouncing the bounty increase, with the foreign minister calling it pathetic

01:02and dismissing it as a political stunt.

01:05At the same time, Venezuela's powerful interior minister, Diosdado Cabello,

01:10confirmed government forces have deployed to the Caribbean,

01:13a show of defiance as the U.S. Navy sends destroyers into the region.

01:17It's the latest flashpoint in a long standoff marked by sanctions, drug charges, and limited deals,

01:23including a U.S. license allowing Chevron to keep pumping oil in Venezuela.

01:29For more unbiased updates, download the Straight Arrow News app or go to san.com.