The U.S. government secretly attempted to bribe an airplane pilot working for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, to help capture and turn him in to U.S. custody. That’s according to an investigation by the Associated Press detailing how a longtime U.S. Homeland Security Investigations agent approached the pilot after learning in 2024 that two private jets frequently used to transport Maduro were stationed in the Dominican Republic. The HSI agent, identified as Edwin Lopez, told the pilot to divert Maduro’s flight to a site where he could be arrested by U.S. authorities, in exchange for a multimillion-dollar reward. Lopez stayed in touch with the pilot, identified as Bitner Villegas, over the course of at least 16 months.
The Trump administration has accused President Maduro of being a drug trafficker, without evidence, offering $50 million for information leading to Maduro’s arrest, in what critics say is another attempt at destabilizing Venezuela, a major producer of oil.