President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he has ordered what he called “a total and complete blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, dramatically escalating his pressure campaign against Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro and directly targeting the country’s oil industry — the regime’s primary source of revenue.
The announcement came days after U.S. authorities seized a Venezuelan oil tanker last Wednesday, signaling a tougher enforcement posture as the administration intensifies efforts to isolate the Maduro regime economically and militarily.
In a lengthy statement posted to Truth Social, Trump said Venezuela is now surrounded by a massive U.S. naval presence and warned the regime that the pressure will only increase.
“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,” Trump wrote. “It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before — Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us.”
Trump accused the Maduro government of using oil revenue from what he described as stolen oil fields to bankroll criminal activity, including terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, murder, and kidnapping.
“The illegitimate Maduro Regime is using Oil from these stolen Oil Fields to finance themselves, Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping,” the president wrote. He said Venezuela has been designated a “FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION” for those actions and other alleged crimes.
Trump also tied the blockade to border security and immigration enforcement, accusing the Maduro regime of exporting criminals to the United States during the Biden administration.
“The Illegal Aliens and Criminals that the Maduro Regime has sent into the United States during the weak and inept Biden Administration, are being returned to Venezuela at a rapid pace,” Trump said. He added that the United States will not allow “Criminals, Terrorists, or other Countries” to threaten or exploit the nation.
“America 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,” Trump concluded.
Venezuela’s oil industry has long been the backbone of the country’s economy and the lifeline keeping the Maduro regime afloat amid international sanctions. According to The New York Times, roughly 80% of Venezuelan oil exports are currently sold to Chinese buyers, highlighting Beijing’s role in sustaining Caracas financially despite Western pressure.
The blockade announcement raises questions about how international companies operating in Venezuela will be affected. Chevron currently operates in the country under a waiver from the U.S. Treasury Department that allows it to conduct limited business with Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, PDVSA, to develop the nation’s vast oil reserves.
The Trump administration has not yet detailed how the blockade will interact with existing waivers or what enforcement mechanisms will be used to stop tanker traffic, but the president’s rhetoric suggests an uncompromising approach.
The move marks one of the most aggressive steps yet in Trump’s renewed effort to confront Maduro directly, leveraging American naval power to choke off oil revenues and force concessions. As tensions rise, the blockade underscores Trump’s willingness to use hard power to confront hostile regimes and reassert U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere.
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