The US has doubled a reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to $50m, accusing him of being "one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world".
US President Donald Trump is a long-time critic of Maduro, who returned to office in January.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the US would double its already announced reward of 25m and said Maduro was directly linked to drug smuggling operations.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said the new reward was "pathetic" and labelled it "political propaganda".
During Trump's first term, the US government charged Maduro and other high-ranking Venezuelan officials with a range of offences, including narco-terrorism, corruption and drug trafficking.
At the time, the US Department of Justice claimed Maduro had worked with the Colombian rebel group Farc to "use cocaine as a weapon to 'flood' the United States".
Bondi accused Maduro of coordinating with groups like Tren de Aragua - a Venezuelan gang that the Trump administration has declared a terrorist organisation - and the Sinaloa Cartel, a powerful criminal network based in Mexico.
She claimed the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had "seized 30 tons of cocaine linked to Maduro and his associates, with nearly seven tons linked to Maduro himself".
Maduro has previously rejected US claims he has direct involvement in drug trafficking.
The UK and EU announced sanctions against Maduro's government following his return to office earlier this year.
