S. 39: Securing Timely Opportunities for Payment and Maximizing Awards for Detaining Unlawful Regime Officials Act of 2025

This bill is titled the "Securing Timely Opportunities for Payment and Maximizing Awards for Detaining Unlawful Regime Officials Act of 2025," commonly referred to as the "STOP MADURO Act." Here’s a breakdown of what the bill entails:

Purpose

The primary purpose of this bill is to authorize a significantly increased financial reward for individuals who provide information leading to the arrest and conviction of Nicolás Maduro Moros, the leader of Venezuela, and other officials associated with his regime.

Increased Reward Amount

• The bill proposes to raise the maximum reward amount for such information from its current amount to a whopping $100,000,000.

Source of Funding

The funding for this reward would come from assets that are currently being withheld from Nicolás Maduro and other regime officials due to existing sanctions. Specifically, the sources of these funds would include:

• Assets seized under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act.
• Funds blocked under the Venezuela Defense of Human Rights and Civil Society Act of 2014.
• Assets frozen as per Executive Orders related to Venezuela which include various sanctions against the Maduro regime.

Background and Context

The legislation is positioned within a context of ongoing U.S. efforts to address drug trafficking and corruption associated with the Venezuelan leadership. Congress cites previous criminal charges against Maduro and his officials, including allegations of:

• Participation in a narco-terrorism conspiracy.
• Conspiring to import cocaine into the United States.
• Possession and use of firearms in relation to these activities.

The U.S. government has identified Maduro’s regime as a major threat, with claims that it has facilitated drug trafficking to undermine the health and safety of the U.S. population.

Management of Reward Distribution

The authority to pay these rewards will be granted to the Secretary of State, who may issue payments to individuals providing actionable information. The bill emphasizes that the payment should be directly linked to information that leads to the effective arrest and subsequent conviction of Maduro.

Conclusion of Current Legislative Stage

The bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate and is currently pending further consideration within the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Relevant Companies

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