Trump Orders Blockade of Sanctioned Venezuelan Oil Tankers After Seizure of Tanker

President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that the United States would block all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, intensifying pressure on President Nicolás Maduro.

Blockade Announcement

Trump’s post on his social media platform declared a “TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela.” He said the move would be part of a broader military buildup that would continue until the country returned “all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us.” The president also claimed that Venezuela was using its oil to fund drug trafficking and other crimes.

In the same post, Trump wrote: “Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,” adding that the naval force would “only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before.” He concluded that the blockade would be lifted only when the Venezuelan regime returned the stolen assets to the United States.

Pentagon officials said all questions about the post were being referred to the White House, and the Venezuelan government’s press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Seizure of Oil Tanker

The blockade announcement followed a U.S. military seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela last week. The seizure was described as an unusual action that came after a buildup of U.S. forces in the region. A video released by Pam Bondi showed the U.S. Navy taking control of the vessel.

The incident was reported by Associated Press writers Konstantin Toropin in Washington and Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas. The seizure was part of a campaign that has already involved a series of strikes on boats in international waters in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.

Maritime Strikes and Military Buildup

Since the campaign began, U.S. forces have carried out at least 25 known strikes on vessels, resulting in the deaths of 95 people. Trump has repeatedly said that the United States will move the campaign beyond the water and begin strikes on land.

In a Vanity Fair interview published Tuesday, Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles confirmed that the campaign is part of a push to oust Maduro. Wiles said Trump “wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle.” The administration has defended the strikes as a success, claiming they prevent drugs from reaching American shores.

The U.S. Navy’s presence in the region includes 11 ships—an aircraft carrier and several amphibious assault ships—along with helicopters, V‑22 Ospreys, and P‑8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. These assets give the United States a significant ability to monitor marine traffic entering and leaving Venezuela.

Economic Impact of Oil Exports

Venezuela, which has the world’s largest proven oil reserves, produces about 1 million barrels a day. Since the Trump administration began imposing oil sanctions in 2017, the Maduro government has relied on a shadowy fleet of unflagged tankers to smuggle crude into global supply chains.

The state‑owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA) has been locked out of global oil markets by U.S. sanctions. It sells most of its exports at a steep discount in the black market in China.

Francisco Monaldi, a Venezuelan oil expert at Rice University in Houston, said that about 850,000 barrels of the 1 million daily production are exported. Of that, 80 % goes to China, 15 % to 17 % goes to the United States through Chevron Corp., and the remainder goes to Cuba.

In October, Trump appeared to confirm reports that Maduro had offered a stake in Venezuela’s oil and other mineral wealth in recent months to try to stave off mounting pressure from the United States. Trump said, “He’s offered everything. You know why? Because he doesn’t want to f— around with the United States.”

Maduro praised Venezuela for “proven to be a strong country” in the face of U.S. pressure. On state television Tuesday, he said, “Venezuela has 25 weeks denouncing, confronting and defeating a campaign of multidimensional aggression, ranging from psychological terrorism to the piracy of the corsairs who assaulted the oil tanker.” He added, “We have taken the oath to defend our homeland, and that on this soil peace and shared happiness triumph.”

Trump also claimed that the “Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.” The foreign terrorist organization designation is typically reserved for non‑state actors, and Venezuela is not on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Key Takeaways

• Trump orders a blockade of all sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers after a U.S. seizure of a tanker.
• The U.S. has conducted 25 maritime strikes, killing 95 people, and plans to extend the campaign to land.
• Venezuela’s oil exports are heavily impacted by U.S. sanctions, with 80 % of exports going to China.

The blockade and accompanying military actions represent a significant escalation in U.S. efforts to pressure the Maduro regime, with potential ramifications for regional security and global oil markets.