WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, ahead of Venezuela’s inauguration of President-elect Edmundo González where dictator Nicolás Maduro will continue his effort to steal a third Venezuelan presidential election, Senator Rick Scott led Senators Ted Cruz and Bill Cassidy in introducing the Securing Timely Opportunities for Payment and Maximizing Awards for Detaining Unlawful Regime Officials (STOP MADURO) Act. This legislation would increase the maximum reward amount from $15 million to a maximum of $100 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Nicolás Maduro. The reward would be paid out by the federal government using seized assets already being withheld from Maduro, officials of the Maduro regime and their co-conspirators, not taxpayer funds. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Florida and its federal law enforcement partners who have brought dozens of criminal charges against high-level regime officials, asset seizures total approximately $450 million dollars.

Senator Rick Scott said, “The Venezuelan people have made it overwhelmingly clear that President-elect Edmundo González is their rightful leader in an effort led by opposition leader María Corina Machado. They want a new day of freedom and democracy – the time of Maduro’s oppressive dictatorship is OVER. In support of the people of Venezuela, the United States must stand strongly against any attempt by Maduro to illegitimately cling to power through violence or repression, and make way for President-elect González to bring democracy, freedom and opportunity back to Venezuela. My bill, the STOP MADURO Act, will increase the maximum reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Maduro to $100 million, using seized assets instead of U.S. taxpayer money to bring an end to the tyranny caused by this narcoterrorist. In 2020, the Trump administration did the right thing by offering a reward of up to $15 million, but it’s time to up the ante and get this good bill passed ASAP.”

Senator Ted Cruz said, “Nicolás Maduro is a corrupt dictator and thug. The STOP MADURO Act helps badly needed efforts to hold him and his regime accountable. I’m proud to cosponsor this effort, and will continue to work with the incoming Trump administration and my colleagues in Congress on these issues.”

Senator Bill Cassidy said, “The people of Venezuela rightfully elected President-Elect Edmundo Gonzalez. His recognition as president is a contrast between a representative democracy and a dictatorship which aligns itself with narco-terrorists, Iran, Russia, and China. Only the Venezuelan people can seize this power back, but the U.S. should do everything we can to support this effort.”

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