US President Donald Trump has said he is ordering a “total and complete” blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.
In a post on Truth Social, he said that the government of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro had been designated a foreign terrorist organization and accused it of stealing American assets, as well as “terrorism, drug trafficking and human trafficking.”
“Therefore, today I order A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS entering and leaving Venezuela,” he added.
Its publication came a week after the United States seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. Venezuela has not yet responded to Trump’s latest comments.
The price of US crude oil rose after Trump’s announcement. On Tuesday afternoon US time, it was trading at around $56 a barrel, up about 1.3% on the day.
In the message, the US president said that Venezuela was “completely surrounded by the largest Navy ever assembled in the History of South America.”
He added that it “will only get bigger” and “will be like nothing you’ve ever seen before.”
Trump also accused Maduro’s government of using stolen oil for “financing, narcoterrorism, human trafficking, murders and kidnappings.”
The Trump administration has repeatedly accused Venezuela of drug smuggling and since September the US military has killed at least 90 people in attacks on ships allegedly carrying fentanyl and other illegal drugs to the United States.
In recent months, the United States has also moved warships to the region.
Venezuela, home to some of the world’s largest proven oil reserves, has in turn accused Washington of trying to steal its resources.
The United States, under both Trump and former President Joe Biden, has opposed Maduro’s government for years and pushed for him to be removed by imposing strict sanctions.
Last week, the United States imposed new sanctions on six more ships it said were carrying Venezuelan oil.
Sanctions were also imposed on some of President Maduro’s relatives and companies associated with what the United States called his illegitimate regime.
A day earlier, the United States said it had seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela.
The White House said the seized ship, called Skipper, had been involved in “illicit transportation of oil” and would be taken to a US port.
The Venezuelan government denounced the seizure and Maduro said the United States “kidnapped the crew” and “stole” the ship.
The United States had increased its military presence in the Caribbean Sea, which borders Venezuela to the north, in the days before the attack.
It involved thousands of troops and the USS Gerald Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, positioned within striking distance of Venezuela.
