Venezuela has condemned a US decision to double the bounty for information leading to the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro, calling the move "pathetic" and "ridiculous."

"The pathetic 'bounty'... is the most ridiculous smokescreen we have ever seen," Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil wrote on Telegram on Thursday, hours after US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the increase.

Bondi said Washington would now offer $50 million for information leading to Maduro's arrest — the highest reward ever placed on a sitting world leader.

She alleged Maduro was "one of the world's largest drug traffickers" and a threat to US national security.

In a video posted on X, Bondi alleged Maduro was "collaborating with criminal groups," including Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang and Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, and accused him of orchestrating large-scale drug trafficking and organised crime operations.

'Economic war'

The attorney general alleged more than $700 million in assets linked to Maduro have been seized by the US, including two aircraft and nine vehicles.

Maduro is already under indictment in a US federal case dating back to 2020 that charges him with drug trafficking.

The State Department initially offered a $15 million reward at the time, later raising it to $25 million.

The Venezuelan government, long at odds with the US, said the reward hike was yet another attempt by Washington to interfere in its internal affairs.

The US has accused Maduro of human rights violations, corruption, and suppressing political opposition. Venezuela has dismissed those allegations, calling US sanctions an "economic war" aimed at toppling its government.

Once Latin America's wealthiest nation due to its vast oil reserves, Venezuela has endured years of US economic and political pressure, prompting millions to flee amid poverty and inflation.