US secret services try to recruit Maduro’s pilot for $50M

For 16 months, the United States tried to secretly persuade a Venezuelan Air Force pilot to divert President Nicolás Maduro’s plane in order to capture him. According to the Associated Press, the pilot was offered $50 million for his cooperation.

The report says a federal agent attempted to recruit the pilot, but U.S. intelligence officials ultimately failed in their efforts.

The article describes the story as having “all the elements of a Cold War spy thriller” — luxurious private jets, secret meetings inside airport hangars, high-stakes diplomacy, and delicate efforts to lure one of Maduro’s key allies.

Frustrated by the failure, the agent began sending threats to the pilot. However, the latter reportedly refused, saying “Venezuelans don’t betray their compatriots,” and eventually blocked the American’s phone number.