In a bold move, President Trump has imposed a “total and complete blockade” on all oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. He has also labeled the country a “foreign terrorist organization” and demanded the return of all stolen assets, including oil and land.
Trump made the announcement on Tuesday, declaring on Truth Social, “Today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela.”
He emphasized, “America will not allow Criminals, Terrorists, or other Countries, to rob, threaten, or harm our Nation and, likewise, will not allow a Hostile Regime to take our Oil, Land, or any other Assets, all of which must be returned to the United States, IMMEDIATELY.”
While the specific stolen assets mentioned by the president are unclear, Venezuela’s former leader, Hugo Chávez, nationalized some oil fields previously operated by foreign companies like ExxonMobil.
Venezuela, known to have the largest oil reserves globally, produces around 1 million barrels per day. However, due to US sanctions, the regime has limited access to global markets, leading to the sale of oil through the black market in China at reduced prices.
Trump’s latest directive follows the recent seizure of a sanctioned oil tanker near Venezuela’s coast by the US administration.
In recent weeks, Trump has been escalating pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, authorizing strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and deploying military resources in the region.
