U.S. agents tried for 16 months to bribe Maduro’s pilot into capturing him, offering $50M, but failed.

A U.S. federal agent, Edwin Lopez, allegedly spent 16 months trying to recruit Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s chief pilot, General Bitner Villegas, to divert Maduro’s plane for a U.S. capture in exchange for a $50 million reward. The covert plan began after a tip about Maduro’s aircraft in the Dominican Republic and included encrypted communications and secret meetings, continuing even after Villegas retired. The pilot ultimately refused to cooperate. The operation highlights Trump-era U.S. efforts to weaken Maduro’s regime through sanctions, covert missions, and military pressure, though neither government has officially confirmed the plot.