First hook paragraph
## Trump Orders Blockade
President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he is ordering a blockade of all “sanctioned oil tankers” entering Venezuela, intensifying pressure on the South American country.
In a social-media post he accused Venezuela of using oil to fund drug trafficking and other crimes, and said the United States would keep building up forces until the country returned “all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us.” Trump also wrote that Venezuela is “completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,” and that the shock would be unprecedented.
Pentagon officials referred all questions about the post to the White House.
## Venezuelan Response
The Venezuelan government released a statement condemning the move as a violation of international law, free trade, and the principle of free navigation. It described the post as a “reckless and grave threat” and said the U.S. was attempting to seize Venezuelan wealth. The statement added that the Maduro administration would denounce the situation before the United Nations.
## Military Campaign and Strikes
The U.S. buildup has included a series of military strikes on boats in international waters in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. The campaign, which has drawn bipartisan scrutiny, has killed at least 95 people in 25 known strikes on vessels.
Trump has said that the United States will move the campaign beyond the water and start strikes on land. The administration defends the strikes as a success, claiming they prevent drugs from reaching American shores and pushes back concerns that they stretch the bounds of lawful warfare.
In a Vanity Fair interview, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles confirmed that the campaign is part of a push to oust Maduro. She said Trump “wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle.”
## Oil Economy and Sanctions
Venezuela, which has the world’s largest proven oil reserves and produces about 1 million barrels a day, has long relied on oil revenue to sustain its economy. Since the Trump administration began imposing sanctions in 2017, the Maduro government has used a shadowy fleet of unflagged tankers to smuggle crude into global supply chains.
The state-owned oil company PDVSA has been locked out of global oil markets by U.S. sanctions and sells most of its exports at a steep discount on the black market in China.
Venezuelan oil expert Francisco Monaldi of Rice University said that about 850,000 barrels of the 1 million daily production are exported. He added that roughly 80 % goes to China, 15 %-17 % to the United States through Chevron Corp., and the remainder 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. Trump said, “He’s offered everything… You know why? Because he doesn’t want to f– around with the United States.”
## Naval Assets and Enforcement
It was not immediately clear how the United States planned to enact the “TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela.” The U.S. Navy has 11 ships in the region, including an aircraft carrier and several amphibious assault ships. These vessels carry a wide complement of aircraft, helicopters, and V-22 Ospreys, and the Navy has also been operating P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.
These assets provide the military with a significant ability to monitor marine traffic coming in and out of the country.
## FTO Designation Controversy
Trump also wrote that the “Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION,” though it was unclear what he was referring to. The foreign terrorist organization designation is traditionally reserved for non-state actors. In November, the Trump administration designated the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization. The term originally referred to Venezuelan military officers involved in drug-running, but it is not a cartel per se.
Governments that the U.S. sanctions for financing or tolerating extremist violence are usually designated as “state sponsors of terrorism.” Venezuela is not on that list. In rare cases the U.S. has designated an element of a foreign government as an FTO, such as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps during Trump’s first term.
## Key Takeaways
– Trump has ordered a blockade of all sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers, citing drug trafficking and demands for return of stolen assets.
– Venezuela’s government accuses the U.S. of violating international law and plans to denounce the action at the United Nations.
– The U.S. military campaign has already resulted in 95 deaths across 25 vessel strikes and is expanding to land operations.
The announcement marks a sharp escalation in U.S.-Venezuelan tensions, with significant implications for global oil markets and international law.
