President Donald Trump ramped up pressure on Venezuela Tuesday by announcing that he is ordering a blockade of all “sanctioned oil tankers” entering and leaving the South American country.
“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “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.”
He then added that he is “ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela,” arguing that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro‘s government is using oil revenue to finance illicit operations including “drug terrorism.”
The U.S. has sanctioned three of Maduro’s nephews and repeatedly conducted military strikes against boats from the Caribbean that it alleges are carrying drugs.
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said in an interview for part of a two-part profile published Tuesday by Vanity Fair that Trump “wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle.”
Tensions escalated further last week when U.S. forces seized an oil tanker in waters near Venezuela.
Trump’s announcement of a blockade could be the prelude to the seizure of more ships. The Skipper, the large oil tanker that the U.S. military seized Wednesday, was a sanctioned vessel that the administration has said was used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
