United States President Donald Trump has ordered what he called a “total and complete” blockade on all US-sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump declared that Venezuela was “completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the history of South America.” He added that Venezuela’s government had been labeled a Foreign Terrorist Organization due to alleged theft of US assets, terrorism, drug trafficking, and human-trafficking activities.
“Today, I am ordering a TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE of all sanctioned oil tankers going into and out of Venezuela,” Trump said.
The Venezuelan government quickly condemned the move, calling it a “grotesque threat” and accusing the United States of attempting to steal Venezuela’s resources. Officials said the blockade was “irrational” and intended to seize the wealth of the nation.
President Nicolas Maduro also criticized the US following the recent seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker, the Skipper. US forces intercepted the vessel near Venezuela and reportedly transported it to Texas.
US Congressman Joaquin Castro described Trump’s action as “unquestionably an act of war,” noting that Congress had never authorized such a conflict. Lawmakers are expected to vote on a resolution that would order the president to end hostilities with Venezuela.
Venezuela Calls on the United Nations
The blockade comes during a significant expansion of US military presence near Venezuela, officially justified as part of anti-drug-trafficking operations. Since September, US forces have killed at least 90 people in strikes on vessels in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea—operations that international law experts have criticized as extrajudicial killings.
Venezuelan officials say Washington is using drug-trafficking claims as a cover for an attempt to seize the country’s vast oil and gas wealth; Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves.
Venezuela’s UN representative, Samuel Moncada, submitted a formal complaint to the UN Security Council, calling the seizure of the Skipper “state piracy” and accusing the US of kidnapping its crew.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that only tankers chartered by Chevron—operating legally in Venezuela under US authorization—have been able to leave the country’s ports since the seizure.
US sanctions on Venezuela’s oil industry, first imposed under Trump’s earlier term and later expanded, have deepened the country’s severe economic crisis. More pressure was added when a US court ordered the forced sale of Citgo, Venezuela’s US-based oil company, to settle billions in outstanding debts.